self-professed homosexual disowns parents in court

By Taye Obateru (Vanguard)

October 26, 2005: Lagos - There was drama in a Jos Chief Magistrate's Court on Tuesday as the self-confessed homosexual arrested at the Plateau Government House last week disowned his parents in court describing them as pretenders.

Bernard Amaechi Anataogu was charged with being a vagabond and for forgery following his arrest after he dressed like a lady to the official seat of the state government seeking audience with Governor Joshua Dariye. Various academic certificates believed to have been forged were also found on him.

Bernard who prefers to be known as Angel later told journalists that he was gay and prefers to dress as a lady dismissing insinuations that he was impersonating a woman. But he created a further scene when he was docked Tuesday as he threw his police officer father, Assistant Superintendent J.N. Anataogu and mother into tears when he told the court that they were not his biological parents as his parents were in Britain.

He challenged them to produce his birth certificate if they were his real parents. "These people are pretenders, they are not my biological parents. If they claim they are, they should present my birth certificate to the court. My biological parents are in Britain and I am not Igbo by tribe." He told the court that he prefers to be in custody than be released to them and boasted that he would escape again if he is released to them.

The parents who travelled to Jos along with his siblings after learning of his arrest broke down in court as he denied them. The father told the court that Bernard was his first son and that they had been searching for him without trace until they learnt of his arrest in Jos.

He pleaded that he should be released to them to enable them give him medical attention since he was not acting normal. At this stage Barrister Ralph Monye leading Tayo Otitoju and Esther Olaolu for the accused, appealed to the court to release him to his parents in view of his situation to enable him get medical attention.

The Chief Magistrate Rayyanu Ibn Adamu agreed that the accused be allowed to go for medical attention and adjourned the case sine die until the accused gets well.