From Desmond Mgboh, Kano
The Kano State Hisbah Board has declared a manhunt for an unspecified number of suspects involved in the organisation and conveyance of a same-sex marriage ceremony in the state.
The manhunt came after officials of the state Islamic police, otherwise known as Hisbah Guards, swooped on the venue of the marriage ceremony, foiling the gathering.
It was gathered that the intended couple, Abba (bride) and Mujahid (groom) and their guests, already tipped off of an impending operation, took to their heels before the officials could swamp them,
The Public Relations Officer, Kano State Hisbah Board, Lawan Ibrahim Fagge told Daily Sun that their officials, however, arrested 15 ladies, the proprietor of the event centre where the ceremony was scheduled to hold and his three security guards.
He explained that there were actually two events taking place in one. The first was a birthday party organized by the ladies who did not know exactly know that some homosexuals had concluded arrangements to contract their same-sex marriage ceremony on the same occasion.
“Our intelligence revealed that the celebrant, one Umar Sanda, was not exactly in support of the devilish exploit and had warned them against hiding under the mask of her birthday to contract their marriage” he stated.
“The ladies have been taken into custody and have been transferred to the counselling unit of the Board where we are educating them of those things that are not permissible under the Sharia code that is practised in the state” he stated.
“We have also invited their parents who will be available anytime soon to take them on bail. But I must say that they had all been cautioned that if they were found in this sort of action again, they would be arrested and taken to court.
Some of the ladies that were arrested at the ceremony said that they were there for the birthday party and had no knowledge that any same-sex marriage was going to simultaneously hold there. They appealed for leniency.