Man condemns Imo community for openly celebrating murder of their son over homosexuality
An X (formerly Twitter) user has alleged that relatives of a 23-year-old Nigerian man, Hillary Ikechukwu Emereole, celebrated his death during his burial, following claims that he was killed in a homophobic attack in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
The allegation was shared by an X user identified as Papi of the Buj, who claimed that songs expressing approval of Emereole’s death were sung by some of his kinsmen during the burial rites.
Emereole was buried on Saturday, February 7, 2026, in his hometown of Umuihugba Umuodu Autonomous Community, Owerri, Imo State.
According to the social media account, information had circulated within the community that Hillary Ikechukwu Emereole was killed because of his sexual orientation, which allegedly influenced the reaction of some attendees at the burial.
In a post recounting the incident, the X user said the atmosphere at the funeral was distressing, claiming that chants were made suggesting satisfaction over the circumstances surrounding Emereole’s death. The user described the scene as painful and troubling.
The development follows earlier reports that Emereole died in Port Harcourt after he was allegedly pushed from a two-storey building by men described as homophobic.
Those reports sparked outrage online, with calls for justice and a proper investigation into the circumstances of his death.
As of the time of reporting, police have also not issued an update on arrests or prosecutions related to Emereole’s death.
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