Di Nigerians wey dem draw into trap and blackmail for being gay

Wen Nigeria pass some of di toughest anti-homosexuality laws for Africa, di internet become one place for di LGBT community to connect wit odas more safely - until criminal gangs go digital too. BBC Africa Eye investigate how blackmailers dey pose as potential dates on popular dating apps, only to extort, beat and even kidnap pipo.

Warning: Dis article contain reference to suicide

Living life in secret as a gay man for Nigeria dey too dangerous for Mohammed.

E dey always dey careful wen e plan to see someone - but one arrangement scatter im life forever.

Di papa of three meet Jamal online. Dem don dey chat for some time wen e finally decide say time don reach to see am in person. E say e don become fond of am, even trust am, and so one afternoon e meet Jamal for town and follow am back to im place.

But na trap.

Mohammed dey about to enta di shower but once don comot im clothes, one group of men burst in and being dey beat am and demand money.

Jamal and di gang video am, naked, e dey beg dem to let am go.

"I no fit believe say someone I trust fit go to di extent of doing dat to me."

Wen di video show face online, Mohammed say im life fall apart.

E bin dey keep im sexuality to imsef - for outside e be married man raising a family.

'My son save me'

Speaking with one white hood pull over im head and one mask to hide im identity, e gree to tok to di BBC as long as dem no go show am.

"I bin dey cry. I bin wan to kill myself."

E describe di moment wen one phone call to im son save am from ending am all.

"I call my pikin dem, three of dem. My son tell me say im love im papa. Even if im papa na queer, e no get walaha with dat.

"E bin give me a reason why I no suppose [kill myself]."

Mohammed dey cry at dis point, comot di white hood, stand up, hide im face and begin dey cry. Reliving wetin happen to am dey too painful.

According to one group of activists wey dey work with di LGBT community for Nigeria, around 15 to 20 pipo contact dem each week wit similar stories to Mohammed.

Dem sabi dis kain blackmail, where dem trap one LGBT pesin for Nigeria's gay community as "kito" - di exact origin of di term no too clear. BBC Africa Eye interview 21 pipo in all about their experiences of being "kito'd".

Emmanuel, no be im real name, describe how e start to dey chat wit friend online, but neva realise say dem don hack im friend account. Wen e arrange to meet up with am, one gang of five men ambushe am.

"Dem make a video of me, and dem dey ask weird questions. Dem say: 'Wetin be di name of di school you attend? Wia you be from? Wetin be di name of your parents?' I know dem go go use di video to blackmail me. So I also give dem wrong informate."

Di gang no post di video online, but dem force am to withdraw 500,000 naira ($1,000; £860) from im accounts and torture am with an iron.

E lift im hand to show di scar say remain at di base of im thumb from di attack. After sharing out di money between dem, di gang let am go.

"E hurt me mentally. I no trust anybody. I just feel insecure."

For 2014, di Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act become law for Nigeria, and dem introduce one new 14-year prison sentence for anyone dem catch entering into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union.

Dem dom also criminalise public displays of affection between same-sex couples, dem impose a 10-year prison sentence on those wey "directly or indirectly make [a] public show of [a] same-sex amorous relationship".

Dem ban gay clubs, introduce a 10-year prison sentence for anyone wey register, operate, or participate in gay clubs, societies, and organisations, including supporters of those groups.

Di passing of di law get widespread support, according to surveys, and mean Nigeria get some of di strictest laws against homosexuality for Africa. Di 12 northern states already fit sentence pipo to death under Sharia, or Islamic law, for engaging in homosexual acts.

Di new law, according to one report by Human Rights Watch "officially authorise abuses against LGBT pipo, effectively making a bad situation worse".

For 2014, media reports of violence, mob justice and extortion against LGBT people dey common and activists say explosion in kito cases don dey since den.

Filmmaker Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim, wey dey live openly as a gay woman for Nigeria, say blackmail against LGBT pipo dey "common".

"Every oda day one tori go dey on di internet. Sometimes we get di tori wia dem don lynch one pesin to death.

"And na di reactions from di other Nigerians. Na like jubilation. 'Oh great, good, dem don kill dem. Demno supposed allow dem come out.' And justice no just dey."

Ms Etim say wetin make am even harder be say di victims feel dem no fit go to di police out of fear of being arrested or even attacked.

"E just dey sad, you know."

She say di gay community, wey dey forced to live online, gatz dey careful there too.

"We no get heterosexual privilege to waka up to one person for di streets or for one restaurant and be like: 'I fit collect your number?'"

However, some law enforcement officials dey work with activists to stop di blackmailers.

BBC Africa Eye speak to one officer with di Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). E work alongside one team of activists wey pose online as LGBT pipo wey dey look to meet a potential partner. Di aim na to trick di blackmailers.

"For me, nobody dey above law for kontri. Blackmailing na very bad offence. Na very big crime," e tok, speaking to di BBC on condition of anonymity.

"If anybody brings a case to my table concerning any case of blackmailing of a gay person, I go hunt for dem. Definitely."

Di victims contact di team of activists with di blackmailers' names and photos. Dem come send di informate to di NSCDC, wey begin di process of snaring di criminals.

"Wherever dem dey , I wan tell dem say no hiding place dey for blackmailers for Nigeria."

Di problem dem face na to persuade victims testify for court. For one country where being gay fit send you to jail, few pipo go stand up and be honest about dia sexuality.

E means dem no dey to prosecute blackmailers.

And little comfort dey for di victims.

Many of di pipo wey BBC Africa Eye tok to don lose dia jobs since di blackmail videos go online. Dem din comot from dia homes, oda no too get good relationship wit dia families. All of dem dey struggle with dia mental health.

For Mohammed, wey even consider ending im own life, im dey always feel shame as im film still dey online.

"I know dem still dey watch di video," e tok.