“There is no story that is not true, […] The world has no end, and what is good among one people is an abomination with others.”
― Chinua Achebe, Things Fall Apart
I thought about this quote today as I remembered a recent conversation on popular Nigerian blogger, Linda Ikeji, from the ever active Book Club’s Whatsapp Group. A few weeks ago Linda Ikeji posted photographs of some young groomsmen at a gay wedding and asked her readers if these men are not likely to be gay themselves, for participating in a gay wedding.
So in case you don’t know, being gay in Nigeria attracts a 14 year prison sentence. Far worse in my thinking is the unrecorded jungle justice penalty it’s also inclined to draw from many Nigerians. Homosexuals stand the chance of being beaten or killed for their preference. For me, I stay out of debates on homosexuality because hey, Not My Circus Not My Monkeys you know. BUT, I hate bullies. I cannot stand the thought of anyone being beaten or killed for their own life choices. So the Chinua Achebe quote came to mind today as I pondered on choices and differences. I feel like as people, as religious people, we put sin in hierarchies that are influenced by our own views, backgrounds and principles. Sin is sin, I’ve never understood why homosexuality is placed at the pinnacle of sin to many Nigerians. Nigerians would never kill an adulterer, many might even praise a cheating man if his mistress is beautiful, yet some Nigerians would not hesitate to beat a gay person to death. I don’t think anyone should die for a sexual preference. But hey, what do I know?! I’m just your garden variety reasonable human ya know?!
Anyhoooo with this in mind the other day at Book Club, Oyin raised the point that Linda Ikeji legit just put a target on some young men’s head by simply putting their photos from a gay friend’s wedding up with the tag, “If you attend a gay wedding are you gay?” You know Nigerians na, #WeMove! No time for checking time, the ‘holy police’ descended on these men to the point that we heard that on the suspicion of homosexuality, death threats had been made, jobs lost, families ostracized. Welcome to 21st century Nigeria.
I think the Book Club’s discussion gave different perspectives of the same very perplexing issue and was quite interesting learning for me.
On to the Bants:
Oyin : Can Linda Ikeji really do stuff like this and it’s ok?
Felix: Linda destroyed families
Felix: 3 people I know of were affected
Felix: I don’t even want to talk about that issue
Felix: Because it’s personal to me
Felix: Linda is a monster
Felix: Of the most evil kind
Felix: And she will get what’s coming to her
Izu: Felix, why always you?
Dante: What she do
Felix: Izu it’s not a funny matter
Izu: I know
Felix: You don’t know the far reaching effects of what Linda did. She destroyed people
Felix: Just to have traffic on her blog
Felix: Someone has been disowned by his family
Felix: I hope when she sleeps in her Banana Island mansion, it will be worth it
Felix: What she does to achieve her success
Izu: We all have personal stories about her blog
Felix: I hope it’s all worth it for her
Felix: They got in touch with her and begged her to take down the story
Felix: She refused
Izu: But my comment isn’t about Linda, but about you
Keseina: did he intend to keep away from his family for the rest of his life? He made his choice to love who he wants to. Choices have consequences. The information would’ve gotten to his family either way….he might not have been disowned if the family didn’t have to hear from another source…
Felix: Keseina I’m not talking about the groom
Keseina: Okay…
Felix: Linda went to the IG of men who attended the wedding
Keseina: Who are you talking about?
Felix: Some of whom were grooms men
Felix: Lifted pictures they posted
Felix: They made no mention of the wedding on the pictures by the way
Felix: She ran the pictures
Dante: Oh wow
Felix: And said “Can straight men be grooms men at a gay wedding? Are these men straight?”
Dante: That’s gangsta
Dante: Wowza
Kelechi: Lol
Felix: And within 24hours their photos were all over the blogosphere
Izu: We know Linda, she’s a sociopath and psychopath
Kelechi: Please this is no different from her ways of posting people’s lives on her blog
Felix: Kelechi it is different
Kelechi: It’s a gossip blog biko
Felix: Very different
Felix: You need to stop talking
Felix: People are killed for being gay in Nigeria
Kelechi: Hahahaha
Felix: People are dragged out of their homes and murdered
Kelechi: Come and keep me quiet
Kelechi: He left the country cos of that
Felix: You really don’t know what is happening
Kelechi: So he should not get troubled
Kelechi: There are secret weddings
Kelechi: He chose groom men and stuff
Felix: The couple made efforts to protect their guests who came from Nigeria
Kelechi: And think it will remain a secret???
Oyin : But that’s wrong, and unfair…
Felix: Kelechi what is your point?
Felix: I’m trying to understand your point
Dante: Lmao. Those guests have a lot of explaining to do
Kelechi: My point is that I cannot go to the market and dance naked and expect people not to talk about it
Izu: Felix, Linda doesn’t care if you straight or gay
Kelechi: Or tell my parents
Felix: Wow! Just Wow
Dante: Linda can and should be sued for that. But this is Nigeria and in Nigeria the criminals win
Izu: As long as you can generate traffic, you are meat to her
Izu: She has destroyed more straight families than she has done gay
Felix: That’s what I’m saying. I hope it’s worth it for her at the end of the day
Izu: So don’t make the gay story peculiar
Felix: Izu it’s different this time
Felix: You can get killed for being gay
Felix: In this country
Felix: That is why this is so disgusting
Felix: One of the guys lives in warri
Keseina: What about the people that read gossip off her blog? Will she be popular without a strong fanbase who consume her material hook, line and sinker?
Felix: His mom has told him not to come home for a while
Izu: You can also get killed for being adulterous as a woman in this country….
Izu: She has accused a lot of women falsely
Keseina: Not the same thing Izu. At all.
Keseina: And she hasn’t faced the law for malicious slander?
Izu: What I mean is, regardless of your story, you are meat to Linda if you can generate traffic for her
Felix: Your neighbors can suspect you are gay, drag you out and club you to death in this country and the police will look the other way. Why can’t you people get it
Felix: It happens
Felix: It has happened
Felix: Severally
Keseina: Yes, all about traffic to a generation that feed off stories of other people’s lives…
Izu: Funny enough, the government seems to care about opposition in cyber-stalking than rumour mongers
Keseina: Understandable….guests at the wedding should’ve been told of the consequences of posting any sort of pictures. Did they listen?
Dante: 😐😑😑
Kelechi: That’s just it
Kelechi: They walked straight into it
Kelechi: Knowing what it entails
Kelechi: I have seen places they say no snapping or drop your phone.
Kelechi: Simple and Short. No Linda and No gossips
Izu: See, Linda is known for these things. Is it wrong? Yes! Why hasn’t she been taken down? Only she and her god know… But Felix making the gay story a peculiar thing doesn’t fly with me as long as it’s Linda
Kelechi: She sends nothing but her cash bro.
Kelechi: Keep it simple
Felix: This is the reason why I didn’t want to say anything. You wouldn’t get it anyway. No use
Izu: Oga, the boy knew the consequence of being gay in Nigeria.. and as a Nigerian, he prolly must have heard about Linda and her nuisance.
Kelechi: See Felix get this straight. If I was gay and I wanted to get married as an American. I will call in CNN
Kelechi: But as a Nigerian?? It’s just folly
Izu: As long as it’s on the internet, Linda all somehow blog about it. She’s that gangsta
Felix: Kelechi I am done discussing this with you. You can continue with Izu
Felix: Leave me out of it please
Kelechi: Lol
Kelechi: No sh*t
Kelechi: So if person talk truth, push am off
Kelechi: 💅
Izu: Felix, when Linda and Wizkid had beef, i tried to make you see reason but you stuck to Linda’s prism. You’re whatever you believe in
Izu: Now you are crying no love for gays in Nigeria
Izu: But you forgot that Linda is a savage. This isn’t the first gay story she has blogged about
Izu: Until she meets her Waterloo, it won’t be the last Nigerian gay story she’ll blog
Izu: This nigga is even fortunate to be in the abroad… Xeernah nko? The lesbian feminist… do you know the ordeal she went through cos of Linda?
Felix: Like I said, I am done with this issue
Felix: Blessings
Izu: Gay blessings to you
Felix: Don’t push me Izu! Don’t push me
Izu: LoooL!!! I live for moments like this
Obi’m ❤️: Yo Izu
Obi’m ❤️: It’s enough
Obi’m ❤️: Felix has a solid point
Obi’m ❤️: Best believe people’s lives have been put at risk by what Linda did
Obi’m ❤️: It has nothing to do with gay or straight
Obi’m ❤️: At this point these folks have some sort of bounty on their head
Oyin : I agree!
Obi’m ❤️: No one should live that way
Oyin : It’s beyond just feelings now
Obi’m ❤️: Yup
Obi’m ❤️: Let’s be honest
Obi’m ❤️: It could have been anyone
Obi’m ❤️: I keep telling y’all
Oyin : Nigeria has institutionalised being gay with a penalty of 14 years
Oyin : That’s no joke
Obi’m ❤️: It’d take one person to run Linda out of business
Obi’m ❤️: I do not subscribe to her blog…ever
Oyin : So, I think before you choose to give me 14 years cos you need traffic on your blog, give me the courtesy of being prepared.
Obi’m ❤️: She’s not professional at all
Oyin : I don’t read he blog, and apologies to those who do, there is absolutely nothing entertaining there
Oyin : Her*
Felix: The people who even get the 14 years are lucky
Obi’m ❤️: It would have been better if they were going to face the law
Felix: The Nigerian mob will kill you first
Izu: I have always maintained that Linda is a savage and puts life at risks. That’s me agreeing with Felix
Felix: And burn your body
Obi’m ❤️: They run a risk of jungle justice
Felix: Before you even talk about jail
Izu: The part of me that disagrees with is him getting mad cos it’s a gay story
Obi’m ❤️: Even their families risk the exposure too
Oyin : Izu your point being this isn’t different from others Linda has posted, but my point is that this is different because of the Gay story
Oyin : Com’on
Obi’m ❤️: So gay and straight alike, the world becomes a more wicked place to live in
Oyin : His family could get lynched depending on where they live
Felix: WARRI
Obi’m ❤️: Just cos someone found himself being attracted to a guy and chose to be happy still
Oyin : The could get kicked outta church… the list goes on
Obi’m ❤️: On and on
Izu: Linda has done worse…. Xeernah lives in Abuja… she’s a lesbian, feminist and Muslim.
Felix: The mother of one of the groomsmen told him to stay away from Warri for now
Felix: Until it blows away
Dante: It’s actually a crime to lift of people’s pictures and put on your blog without permission
Izu: Until she meets her Waterloo? She will not stop.
Felix: He has a job there
Oyin : Izu, in Nigeria, lesbianism isn’t ‘Gayism’. Come on!
Felix: The same mother is facing questions from her church
Dante: That’s the worst part. That she even does her things with no professional courtesy
Oyin : A girl is a lesbian, “…oh she lost her way or was raped…”
Oyin : A man is Gay, and fuck, he’s a ******** who likes little boys
Obi’m ❤️: Izu I love you and everything and I know you have an opinion but I totally disagree with this one and I think you should consider the entire circumstance and don’t say stuff just to get at other people
Izu: No, Oyin. Xeernah is a Twitter overlord
Oyin : I know Xeernah
Obi’m ❤️: Izu it jolly well could be your brother in that situation, or you as well
Oyin : All I am saying is Linda’s post isn’t right, especially about sexuality
Obi’m ❤️: We should be responsible for each other
Oyin : But same way she has no right to post pple’s pictures
Izu: I’m not getting at anybody. I might be controversial, but I’m saying the sad truth
Oyin : No Izu, you’re saying Your truth.
Oyin : Not the Truth, there’s a difference
Obi’m ❤️: That’s my problem with her….,,she’s the real problem with Nigeria (bush people with no class )
Izu: Yeah. Like Oyin said, Linda’s post isn’t right..I hate her professional conduct, but I’m trying to make Felix see that this story isn’t peculiar in any way
Obi’m ❤️: It is because there can be a direct link to loss of life and so many other ripples
Obi’m ❤️: It is peculiar
Obi’m ❤️: To me Linda is a very bush girl and I don’t think I can take anyone who subscribes to her blog seriously
Izu: Whether gay or straight, there have been ripples to Linda’s blogs
Obi’m ❤️: I think you really should take a back seat to this one bro
Adoks: Hi guys
Adoks: Omo this Linda thing is despicable
Felix: The groom’s family is in disarray
Felix: The groomsmen have a bounty on their heads as it stands
: Izu: You seem not to get me.. Linda has wrecked lives regardless of sexuality of status and somehow gets away with it. Till she meets her Waterloo, traffic comes first for her
: Izu: *or status
: Izu: How she manages to stay afloat despite the petitions beats me
Adoks: We get you, Izu, and you’re mostly correct. I think where folks disagree with you is where you say this particular case isn’t special. It is, because I don’t think there’s any group of people more likely to get killed in Naija for being themselves than gay people.
Oju: Izu cmon.. 😣
Adoks: Linda is what maggots call themselves when they’re angry.
Izu: Yeah. Now, if she could blog about Xeernah, nobody is sacred.
Adoks: She even roped in groomsmen. I’ve been groomsman at a gay wedding. That’s how Linda would have had the whole Port Harcourt hunting me
Felix: The groomsmen posted pictures on their [personal] Instagram
Felix: Without mentioning the wedding
Felix: She lifted them
Oju: Being a ‘lesbian Twitter overlord’ is not the same as being gay in Nigeria.
That’s what makes this case peculiar and if you can’t see this Izu…
Felix: And ran the story
Oju: 😕
Felix: Asking if A straight man can be a groomsman at a gay wedding
Felix: You need to read the comments on the article
Felix: How they will be killed
Felix: And burned
Felix: They don’t deserve to live
Oyin : It’s plain sad
Obi’m ❤️: GBAM!!!!
Felix: And I’m watching people talking about dismembering them
Felix: All because of Linda
Oju: Whoa 😯
Obi’m ❤️: GBAM!!!! Again
Izu: Xeernah isn’t just a lesbian Twitter overload, she’s a political activist and Muslim that lives in the North. Between her and the guy in New York, who’s more at risk?
Felix: I don’t understand this narrative
Felix: Linda has done it before
Felix: So it’s okay
Felix: Nothing new here
Felix: Let’s leave it
Felix: Wow
Oju: Just. Wow.
Obi’m ❤️: Izu please just listen to yourself
Felix: One of the guys lives in Warri
Felix: His mother has told him not to come home
Felix: He works in a bank
Felix: In warri
Izu: You guys just let emotions takeover
Felix: He is confused
Izu: I hate Linda more than y’all
Felix: Where will he go after his leave
Felix: He will be slaughtered in warri
Obi’m ❤️: Plus lesbianism in Nigeria is not even that bad….people would always say it’s a phase. In fact Nigerians don’t frown at it tbh
Felix: The whole bank thinks he is gay
Felix: Very true
Izu: Guys chill, let’s understand one another here
Obi’m ❤️: That is the point, the fact that you can’t see this, is quite surprising and with every word you keep making it harder to support you
Izu: I’m saying the story is legendary Linda Ikeji.
Izu: I condemn her for running life threatening stories in its entirety, but not cos this episode is gay
Wendelyn: I honestly started where Izu currently is; just wondering if this story is any worse than every other one Linda posts about women’s alleged body counts that ruin their homes, allegations of men’s fraud that ruin their businesses in the end etc. Because these all also have a real-life impact on people. But Izu, I think you might appreciate better where everyone is coming from if you reread this comment from Adoks and think of the disgust/depravity a lot of Nigerians associate with homosexuality.
Wendelyn: What Adoks said. The Groomsmen had regular photos of themselves on THEIR instagram, NOT associated with the wedding. You should be scared, it means no one is really safe.
Felix: Simple
Shouldn’t we start suing malicious gossip bloggers, Nigeria?
Oh Wendelyn! 