Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State has ordered the suspension of the Permanent Secretary Cabinet Office, Dr Nasiru Abubakar Kigo, over the figures he gave on the prevalence of homosexualism and lesbianism in Kebbi and Sokoto states.
The permanent secretary was said to have claimed that Kebbi has 19,567 lesbians, majority of whom are married women and 15,979 homosexuals while delivering a Ramadan lecture at a mosque in Aliero Quarters area of Birnin Kebbi.
Speaking during the Ramadan Tafsir, the Permanent Secretary said investigation showed that they were registered with ID Cards and certificate of homosexuality.
He said a second investigation carried showed that homosexual had a station in a local government.
“They influence children to join. We know we don’t want to expose them.
“Those registered homosexual have reached 15,979 here in Kebbi”.
His suspension letter dated April 4 from the office of the State Head of Service, Shekare Malami, said the permanent secretary remained suspended until investigation into the claims and figures he gave on the homosexualism and lesbianism in Kebbi and Sokoto are concluded.
The state government, through the Special Adviser to the governor on Religious Affairs, Engr Imrana Ibn Usman, on Thursday described the permanent secretary’s claim as “defamatory, obnoxious, misleading and unacceptable.”
He said, “We diligently appraised these claims to establish the truth, the assertion that Sokoto State ranks highest in the nation for lesbianism is utterly false and condemnable.”
He debunked the statistics attributed to Kebbi and Sokoto states by Dr Kigo, saying it would be thoroughly investigated.
“The Kebbi State Government categorically rejects and condemns such false declarations and will not allow the good image of the state to be tarnished,” he said.
He emphasised that Kebbi and Sokoto states, being pillars of the famous Sokoto Caliphate, hold strong moral and religious values, as such the allegations are not only misleading but also offensive to their heritage of sound virtues.
“These false claims have painted our states and our people in a negative light, while also misrepresenting Islam and the legacy of the Sokoto Caliphate,” he said.