IN THE EYE OF A CRIMINAL (Knowing Utali Ekwensu)
I met someone on Grindr a few days ago. We got talking and we clicked. We moved on to WhatsApp, and after the exchange of pictures, I was physically attracted to the guy because he was just as good looking as I liked my men to be. Let’s call him Nathan.
Nathan told me that he stays somewhat close to me, a few communities away from me. And when he asked if I could come over, I didn’t hesitate, because the konji was at its peak at the time. All this talk about coronavirus in the South West and social distancing for Nigerians had people over here in the East feeling antsy about getting together with anyone.
So I went to see him. To my immense displeasure, the journey wasn’t the quick hop I thought it would be. He didn’t live somewhat close to me like he said he did. It was a really long journey. When I got to the destination he’d told me to stop at, I called Nathan and waited for awhile before he showed up. He looked just as good as he did in the pictures. We exchanged pleasantries and he took me to a nearby restaurant for us to have something to eat. He seemed to be just as into me as I was into him, because he kept on talking about how good I looked.
He turned out to be a really cool guy, and we smoked, got high and had really good sex.
During the post-coital conversation, we were talking about random things, and as one talk led to another, we somehow landed on the case of the two guys, Angus Chukwuebuka Nwankwo (aka Utali Ekwensu) and Chidiebere Omeyi, who killed a gay guy who traveled to see Angus for a hookup and whose video of their confession went viral last month. It seems like such a lifetime away now, what with the coronavirus pandemic being on everyone’s mind now; but that is my community that was affected and stories about us getting victimized and murdered never stays too far from the mind.
Nathan showed me his phone screensaver; it was the picture of Utali Ekwensu’s partner in crime, Chidiebere Omeyi. It was apparent that he knew the guy very well, and for some reason, I found that surprising.
Seeing the expression on my face, he began to tell me what he knew about what happened.
***
“That incident – the murder… It happened just a few streets away from here, you know.
“I know both of them, Angus and Chidi – although Chidi is the one I used to be very close to. He is gay and we have had sex a few times. He is the one that fucked me.
“Angus has actually killed a man before. This was not his first murder. And for that crime, he was sentenced to a mere two years in prison. His sentence was that reduced because his lawyer argued that he’d been trying to defend himself from the homosexual act the victim was trying to force him to do and had accidentally killed the man.
“He came out of prison two years later with the mindset of dealing with gay men as revenge for being the reason he wasted two years of his life in prison.
“Chidi used to tell me about how he and Angus have both kitoed lots of gay guys since then, including a priest who they beat mercilessly in a hotel, took his money and left him almost lifeless. And when he would tell me these stories, I would beg him to stop, that it isn’t fair that he was setting up and victimizing guys like him. But he never listened.
“The night before that fateful day that they killed that guy, Chidi slept over at my place and we had sex. The next morning, he told me that a guy was coming in from Owerri to see them and that they were planning to set him up. He kept calling Angus, and right in my presence, they were planning how they would execute the whole setup.
“Again, I pleaded with him to stop all these things he was doing, but he wouldn’t listen to me. At some point, after he left my house, I went to the motor park to intercept buses coming in from Owerri, and every young male passenger I saw coming down from the buses, I would tell that if they were coming to see someone here, they should just turn around and get on a bus back to Owerri. From their reactions, I didn’t think I found the person who Utali and Chidi were targeting.
“The next day, Chidi came to my house. He was panicked. He told me that they had accidentally killed the guy who came to see Angus. I was very angry, bitterly angry, and questioned him about what happened. He kept on saying that he feels bad and that things wouldn’t have escalated to that point if the guy hadn’t been so stubborn. I couldn’t believe that he had killed someone and was trying to make it the victim’s fault. I asked him to leave my house and told him to never come close to me again, that I can’t be friends with a murderer.
“I deleted his number and pictures from my phone, except this screensaver; I have tried but it just won’t change. I’m thinking of taking it to a phone repairer for them to fix it.
“Soon after that, the video of their confession went viral. And I was struck with new horror to see the guy I knew, the guy I’d had sex with was no longer just a petty kito criminal, but indeed an actual killer.
“I heard they are both in the prison now, waiting to be charged to court. Chidi has even tried to get someone to call me to tell me that he is starving in the prison, and that I should please come and see him and bring food for him. His father is late and his mother has disowned him, never wanting to see him again. When I got the message, I didn’t even bother responding or acting on it. I want him to suffer for what he has done and possibly die there for all I care. For all his heartlessness, he deserves whatever consequence that he has been going through.”
***
When Nathan was done with his story, I sat there, staring at him, very short for words. I told him that when I heard the news and watched that viral video, I’d actually thought they were homophobes who were heterosexual; it never crossed my mind that they were gays. Gay-on-gay crimes are the absolute worst, because it feels like your own community turning on you, using the weaknesses that they are very familiar with, to get at you.
I was very pleased that Nathan felt the way he felt about Chidiebere Omeyi, and I encouraged him to never have anything to do with him every again.
Before that day was over, I added my prayer to Nathan’s: a wish of every pain imaginable and then death upon those two criminals.
Written by James
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25 Comments
Henrie
April 14, 07:57Can’t believe yall are now having sex with murderers and their friends. He couldn’t delete the murderer’s photo from his phone? His wallpaper? Sounds like a joke, a horrible one.
His friend is a convicted murderer who confessed to him about killing and robbing other gay men and somehow they’re still buddies? None of these adds up. The remorse is a hoax.
All of this is happening because too many gay men continue to see their gay life as a sport and their partners as sex objects to use and dispose or even kill. It’s horrifying.
Pink Panther
April 14, 08:00I don’t think they’re buddies post-killing. But yeah, I have a specific kind of disgust for anyone who still fraternises let alone hooks up with people they know are kito criminals.
Jinchuriki
April 14, 08:16I cannot argue here. It makes no sense that anyone would keep in touch with scum. What’s worse is he never reported to the authorities nor told anyone that could have done something about the two of them. He’s just as bad as they are.
Mandy
April 14, 08:08“All of this is happening because too many gay men continue to see their gay life as a sport…”
So true. When we are able, as a community, to think about our homosexual existence as not just a TB game but as something that is OUR LIFE, then some of all these nonsense we take for granted and treat lightly will reduce.
I cannot even imagine knowing that someone I’m sleeping with or am friends with is out there setting gay people up, and then coming back to my place for us to share gist and/or have sex. And somehow, I’m supposed to be ok with it?
That would make me feel tainted. Like a criminal by association. And in a civilized society, Nathan could get convicted for aiding and abetting.
Mandy
April 14, 08:05Nathan’s remorse comes too late. The guy has been kitoing people up and down, and he was still shagging him? They beat a priest to near-death, and now murder is where he crosses the line?
Excuse me with that horse shit please.
I do however have to give it to him for the effort he made to try and get the guy who was coming from Owerri. I just feel as though he enabled the Chidi for too long by giving him sex even when he knew he was a criminal like that. How about deny him something worthwhile; he is gay and still setting up gay men, then deny him the gay sex he seemed to count on you for.
This is all just a mess. And if I were James, I’d keep my distance from Nathan as well.
Olutayo
April 14, 08:22The part about Utali Ekwensu going to jail for two years before over killing a man…
Now THIS is something that the mainstream media ought to have resurrected in their reports of the guys murdering that guy. THAT would be actual journalism, where they investigate these guys’ history to unearth their criminal past.
Instead, what we were getting was a copy and paste hack job that appeared to exonerate them of a heinous crime. What a waste the Nigerian media is!
Sammy
April 14, 08:53Nathan should have acted fast since e knew about d clique may God have mercy on us all
Bubu
April 14, 09:58Hmmmm….story!why didn’t nathan report the chidiebere guy to the appropriate authorities, dinning with the devil,now the devil is caught…his trying to play the good guy…abeg make the nathan guy rest?
African Bamboo
April 14, 11:26Easy to say.
And when they ask him how he got the information, he’ll say he’s shagging the guy right?
You think this Chidi guy won’t kito the Nathan if he acts otherwise.
The truth is, this is a messy story. Too many blames to go round. People merrily dining with the devil and sharing stories.
And yes, you are as culpable if you are content with sharing space with criminals.
Karma
April 14, 10:25I don’t know why I was rolling my eyes while reading this. I am not impressed. But can Nathan help us poison them in the prison? ?
Mike
April 14, 10:46What you get for joining two goats together, no sense.
Well Sha, all na wash, e Don pass.
Viktor
April 14, 11:09Nathan didn’t act well. He knew his friend kito people n didn’t report him to anybody or even police. Why’s he telling the guy about his friend.that can’t bring the dead back. People should learn how to react fast before things escalate.
Colossus
April 14, 11:18For those saying he should have reported to the authorities, which authorities? The same police that don’t believe a husband can rape his wife or a different police that believe gays are the scum of the earth.
We weren’t there, I wasn’t there. I don’t know what transpired between Nathan and Chidi but maybe it was more than just being a fuck buddy, you don’t use the picture of a fuck buddy as your screen saver.
Knowing this, it’s hard to turn on your friend. If you find an act disgusting, you start by trying to get him to change his ways and when he does not, two things are expected to happen. You cut off the friendship and hope your friend gets what’s coming to him or you be the one to turn him in depending on the overwhelming level of proof you have.
Also remember, going to turn his friend in to the police exposes him. That’s probably his fear, how does he report without exposing himself? Anonymous tips work in Hollywood.
I am not defending Nathan but I can understand what might have prevented him from coming forward, it’s the reality of our lives in Nigeria.
Kobe
April 14, 17:22This comment echoes my sentiments.
Ayoade
April 14, 11:25I really wish both recieve due justice for their crime… I wish they never leave prison for Nathan’s sake.
Delle
April 14, 12:35Let them both die there in jail. God, please let them die!
How can you hate yourself so much as to kill people because of it!?
While I’m not totally taken by this Nathan guy, it’s good to finally be certain of the sexuality of those hoodlums.
All these TBs. Ptueh!
Drew
April 14, 13:36Most straight homophobes give no damn about gay men anymore in as much as you dont make advances at them to their disgust. It’s so heart breaking that gay men are staging hate and planning such coup against themselves. We gotta do better for ourselves. For starters can y’all “converters” stop converting straight guys to this lifestyle pLEASE! cos you bring them in on the lifestyle and expose them to so much and they use them in turn to haunt us down.As much as I believe all men can be gay, yet again it is a choice so please don’t make that choice for them cos this is the end product. There is so much going on in the world now let’s do right by ourselves.
Fp
April 14, 17:29First of all
Being Gay isn’t a lifestyle or a choice.
Y’all are the reason we sit down your to discuss how you naturally feel about someone else.
Yeah!
April 14, 18:17Saying gay people are the biggest instigators of violence within the lgbt community is not only untrue but homophobic,go and look under the comment section of any pic celebrating lgbt people or couples and tell me straight people are not pressed by the existence of sexual minorities.
Homophobia is state sanctioned and embedded in the fabric of the nigerian society,are you implying this is due to the actions of sexual minorities becuase not only is your observation untrue but totally misguided
Pink Panther
April 14, 18:48This!!!
Luck
April 28, 11:58I’ve been at home for over a month doing nothing but perusing through the internet. So suffice it to say, I’ve seen really really dumb shit but this, this thing you just said is the dummest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.
Audrey
April 15, 08:54Please for all of you saying the Nathan guy didn’t act smart, please I’d want to know what you’d do if you were in his shoes because I’m imagining him going to the police or Security personnel to report the said guys without putting himself at risk.
The only thing I guess he should have done was cut ties with those guys a long time ago but shildren of the world, there are some dicks so good that even if the owner was an idiot you’d shut out that part of him and keep getting the D so long as emotions don’t come creeping in. Na God go save person laslas.
Buddha
April 15, 10:00Now, this is your redemption Nathan. Go, see him (Utali Ekwensu) with a flask of jollof rice, chicken and cole slaw. Don’t forget Zobo drink. Ensure he and his partner in crime eat and be merry. Don’t feel guilty.
Lucky
April 28, 11:49Honestly, this just sounds too messed up to be true.
The guys narration of how he begged and begged him to stop, then had sex with him then resumed begging him to stop kitoeing people, then refused to visit him in prison cause beating and humiliating innocent people is somehow more tolerable than murder is just ridiculous.
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