Changing Attitude in London is concerned to learn that Davis Mac-Iyalla and eight members of Changing Attitude Nigeria were arrested and held in Wuse police station, Abuja from 3am Saturday 22 October to Monday 24 October. The arrest seems to have been speculative, but the suspicion remains that they were targeted because of their public stance in the Sun newspaper for Christian gays and lesbians in Nigeria.

Davis had returned home to rest following the Friday evening Changing Attitude meeting when one of the members phoned him. Oludare Odumuye of Alliance Rights was in Abuja and had invited most of the CA members to have a drink with him in a club. Davis joined them, sitting and having fun until about 2am when he told them that he felt weak and needed to go home and rest. One of the members said that as their leader, he had better make sure they all reached their houses safely first.

They called two taxis and set off from Garki to Wuse to drop the first person. They were stopped by night police who asked to check the nine of them. The police didn’t discover any guns or knives but picked an object that looked like a gun from the boot of the driver’s car. They asked who it belonged to and the driver said it was his. The police sent a radio message that they had caught criminals. More policemen came, beat Davis and the other eight and took them to Wuse police station. At the station they searched Davis’s pocket and discovered his identity card for changing attitude. They wanted to know if he was the author of the story in the previous week’s paper. He said that he was. They didn’t comment but took the nine to an open cell, beat Davis again, but never gave a reason.

None of them was allow to communicate with anyone, including members of their families. No one knew where they were and there a lot of confusion outside. They were kept without food and water. Victor, one of the group, fell very sick towards 7pm on Saturday evening. Davis was asked to take Victor to a hospital accompanied by four police men. When they arrived Davis was asked to deposit US$50 before they would treat Victor. He told them he didn’t have any money but would come back and pay later and doctor agreed to admit Victor. He was very sick of cold from sleeping on the bare floor. After he was admitted they took Davis back to the cell to join the rest, still without food but this time with a little water. A policeman stayed with Victor in hospital.

At 11 am on Sunday they took Davis to search his room in his brother’s house. He wasn’t sure what they were looking for, and they found nothing but books about Changing Attitude, which they didn’t touch, and took him back to cell. They took nothing from the room. They took the others to search their houses as well but found nothing.

Davis’s brother came to the police station at 8pm Sunday night but didn’t bring food. The mother of one of the members also came to the station that night and the brother of another member but no one came to see the others. At 11pm on Sunday night the crime officer came and said if we didn’t pay US$50 to bail themselves they would be taken to court as criminals and homosexuals. This instilled greater fear in the weak and sick members. Davis commented that the police frame people in Nigeria and the judges mostly believe them.

Davis begged the police to allow him to use his cell phone to call his mother but they refused. Later, one of the police women on night duty asked him if he had US$30 and if so, she would allow him to call his mother. Davis paid and as able to speak to his mother. She agreed to call some friends in Abuja to help him. Davis then wanted to call Colin Coward, Changing Attitude’s London Director but the police woman demanded another US$30 which he didn’t have.

They passed another night in the cell until 8am Monday morning. The mother of one member came and bailed her son out and the elder brother of another member bailed his brother out leaving seven. The friend of Davis’s mother arrived and paid US$350 to bail them out.

Davis was asked to go with two policemen to pay the hospital bill, the balance amounting to US$235 for drugs, bed fee and x-ray. No more money being available, Davis told the doctor he would return on Tuesday to pay the fee. Victor eventually left hospital on Wednesday

Davis returned to the police station on Tuesday morning, but there was so much confusion that one was free to talk to him. Davis left and hasn’t been contacted by them. He believes that they will take no further action.