Valentine’s Chaos: A Night of Love Turns Into a Nightmare in Lekki

Lekki Phase 1 Gate

By JUMOKE SANNI

What was meant to be a night of celebration, love, and freedom turned into chaos and fear at a private Valentine’s party attended by members of the LGBTQ+ community in Lekki, Lagos.

The party, hosted discreetly at a short-let apartment complex, was already buzzing well past midnight when a fight broke out between two groups around 3:00 am.

According to one Mr. James (surname withheld), an attendee who spoke under the condition of anonymity, the altercation began when Mike a known figure in the local scene, became enraged after his partner was casually greeted by another guest he didn’t recognize. What started as a verbal exchange quickly escalated into a physical confrontation involving multiple people.

“It was supposed to be a safe space for us,” said Mr. James. “But things spiralled out of control so fast. Bottles were flying, furniture got broken, people were screaming. Blood was everywhere. It was terrifying.”

By 4:47 am, the party had disbanded in panic. Several individuals were seriously injured and transported to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. Unaware of the nature of the event, hospital staff admitted the victims without questioning. However, the situation took a drastic turn when the hospital filed a routine incident report with local police, who began investigating.

When officers arrived and began questioning the victims and others who had remained, they discovered the nature of the gathering — a party involving LGBTQ+ individuals. Under Nigeria’s harsh anti-LGBTQ+ laws, this discovery turned a private incident into a legal crisis.