Tamale residents chase gays

Residents of Choggu Yapalsi, a Tamale suburb, are on the chase of one Iddrisu Hudu Abdulai, whom they suspect to be gay.

They as well threatened to wipe his entire family if he’s not ostracized from the community on religious grounds.

Iddrisu Hudu Abdulai, currently a fugitive, was suspected to be practicing homosexuality with the son of a renowned Muslim leader, until their abominable love story cover was blown. Skeik Mahamadu Alhassan is known for his strict stance against homosexuality and therefore did not take kindly to the conduct of Lukman Habib, his gay son.

It is based on this reason that Sheik Mahmadu Alhassan has declared a ‘Jihad’ against Iddrisu Hudu Abdulai, accusing him of introducing his son to the act, which he claims is alien to the region.

Residents of the metropolis maintain the area is a Muslim dominated community and Islam frowns on homosexuality. And so they are up in arms against person believed to be engaged in such practices, which they indicate could spell doom for the region.

The family house of Abdulai was last week reported to have been raided by angry weapon-wielding residents led by Sheik Mahamadu Alhassan. They claim his conduct is dragging the name of the community in the mud.

Family members who spoke to DAILY GUIDE disclosed that in view of the allegations leveled against Iddrisu Hudu Abdulai, they continue to receive death threats from some community members and therefore feel insecure.

But Sheik Mahamadu Alhassan insists the parents are shielding the alleged gay, promising to fish him out to face the wrath of the community after disowning his son Lukman Habib, who at the time of filing this report, was also said to be hiding.

Iddrisu Hudu Abdulai is also reported to have been warned to stay away from Tamale, as residents are prepared to lynch him.

Family sources say they are scared to report the matter to the police, as it stands the chance of aggravating the situation. Various human right groups and agencies, including the Commission on Human Right and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) have condemned the conduct of the residents, indicating that it constitutes a violation of fundamental human rights of Abdulai.

They have called on the police to provide adequate protection to the family of the alleged gay and cautioned the public against infringing on the rights of purported gays.

Meanwhile, Alhaji Ismael Ridwan, 35, who was last week arrested for allegedly engaging in gay practice with a number of boys in Zogbbele, another suburb of the metropolis, has been granted a GHc 500 police inquiry bail. The suspect, who is alleged to have engaged in various sexual bouts with boys of the area later compensated them with motorbikes, was arrested by members of the community and handed over to the Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit (DOVVSU). Alhaji Ridwan, who admitted committing the act in his caution statement, was granted police inquiry bail to be reporting periodically to the police pending further investigations into the matter. His arrest shocked many in the city considered his status in the metropolis as an astute Muslim.