Nigerian Newsday

A 45-year-old man, Malam Jamilu Mai Kayan Miya, is now battling for his life in a hospital in Gusau, the capital of Zamfara State, after he was beaten to a state of coma by a mob for allegedly attempting sodomy with a 13-year-old boy simply called Faisal.

Faisal's elder brother, Malam Mohammed, told our correspondent that Malam Jamilu who used to sell vegetables along Sokoto road in Gusau, met Faisal a fortnight ago and promised him a cash reward of N4, 000.00 should he agree to sleep with him.

The victim's elder brother further told our man that Malam Jamilu requested Faisal to meet him in his apartment the following morning. But rather than do Malam Jamilu's bidding, our source said the teenager went straight to his brother (Mohammed) to report the development.

"On receiving this information, myself and other people asked Faisal to go the house of Malam Jamilu just to play along with him, while we hid ourselves in a corner, very near to the house", said mohammed.

He added: "From where we hid ourselves, we could see all that we suspected would happen between Malam Jamilu and Faisal, my brother. Soon afterwards, we noticed Malam Jamilu making suspicious moves towards his "prey" and we then raised an alarm and pounced on him".

Meanwhile, when our correspondent contacted Malam Jamilu on his hospital bed, he denied ever being a homosexual and said the attack on him was deliberately aimed at damaging his reputation in the community.

He also threatened court action against his attackers as soon as he was discharged from the hospital.