A 64-year-old public servant, Francis Chimezie Onwuliri, was allegedly lynched by a group of residents in Kubwa, Abuja, on Monday night following accusations that he was protecting and assisting his son, who had been labelled bisexual by members of the community.

Family members and an eyewitness told our correspondent that the attack occurred amid lingering controversy surrounding the victim’s son, Maxwell Chukwuka Onwuliri, who reportedly left Nigeria in 2019 after being invited for questioning by the Zone 2 Police Command in Lagos over allegations linked to provisions of the Criminal Code dealing with same-sex relations.

Although Maxwell was never found guilty of any offence, his name reportedly remained associated with local rumours and scrutiny by anti-vice operatives.

According to witnesses, tensions escalated on the evening of September 6, 2021, when an estimated 15 youths armed with machetes, clubs and metal rods converged on the Onwuliri family residence located on Lagos Street in the MFA Quarters area of Kubwa.
“They were shouting, ‘Where is the father of that homosexual? Bring him out. He must die for supporting evil’,” said a neighbour who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal.

Mr. Onwuliri initially refused to come out, but the mob began smashing windows and doors. When he stepped outside to reason with them, he was immediately seized, dragged into the street, and beaten repeatedly for nearly 20 minutes. His wife, Victoria Onwuliri, attempted to intervene but was shoved aside and suffered a broken arm.

“They kept hitting him on the head with a wooden plank, saying, ‘You raised a dog that likes men, so you must go to hell before him’,” the neighbour added.

Police from the Kubwa Division arrived over an hour later, after the mob had already dispersed. Mr. Onwuliri was found unconscious in a pool of blood. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Kubwa General Hospital.

Family friends disclosed that the Onwuliri family had been under constant threat since Maxwell fled Nigeria in 2019. Maxwell’s perceived bisexuality had been the subject of rumours since his secondary school days. In 2019, Maxwell was interrogated by the police over the same allegations – an event his legal representatives, Seals and Partners LP, later confirmed in a sworn attestation.

“After Maxwell left, the harassment did not stop. It turned against the father because he refused to disown his son,” said a family associate. “Mr. Onwuliri always said, ‘My son has not killed anyone. I will not throw him away.’ That is why they killed him.”

The FCT Police Command spokesperson, DSP Josephine Adeh, said an investigation has been launched, but as of press time no arrests have been made. “We are looking into the matter and will ensure justice is done,” Adeh said in a text message.

However, human rights lawyers familiar with the case expressed little optimism.

“This is a textbook example of how the Nigerian state and vigilante mobs work together to persecute not only LGBT+ persons but also their families,” said Amarachi Anozie‑Obi, a senior partner at Seals and Partners LP, which represented Maxwell in 2019. “The same police force that refused to protect Mr. Onwuliri is now ‘investigating’ his killers. We have no confidence in that process.”

The killing of Francis Chimezie Onwuliri echoes other recent attacks on family members of LGBT+ individuals in Nigeria, including the 2021 murder of Adekunle Joseph Ogundiya in Lagos and the killing of the father of university student Tijani Muhammed Sedi in Benin City.

Victoria Onwuliri has since gone into hiding. The family home has been abandoned.

“This is what happens when the government criminalises love,” Ms. Anozie‑Obi added. “Fathers are murdered for protecting their children.”