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The incident reportedly occurred at Ogedegba Street in Warri, where residents called on the management of DESTMA to investigate the matter.

The said DESTMA staff is alleged to be a homosexual who is in the habit of sexually abusing teenage boys.

DESTMA Director-General Mr Ndubuisi Idah told our correspondent in Asaba on Wednesday that although he was yet to receive a report on the act, he has set machinery in motion to ascertain if homosexuality was an offence.

Mr Idah said the said DESTMA staff has not shown up for work since Monday, adding that the last time he was at the duty post was last Friday.

‘I have not received the report but I was forwarded something online. If I say I have not heard it, I will be lying.

‘But I have asked them to find me something in the civil service rule that deals with something like that because what someone does in his private time is none of my business.

‘So I have discussed it with the directors this morning to find out where we draw the line from what someone got him or herself during their off duty hours.

‘I don’t have the report, I don’t know when he was caught, whether it was during working hours or within his own free time.

‘But I can tell you that he came to work on Friday, he did not come to work on Monday and yesterday (Tuesday).

‘Maybe, I am speculating, that what happened might have happened over the weekend. And we don’t know of his whereabouts right now because he did not come to work,’ Idah said.

An eyewitness of the alleged sexual abuse claimed that the teenage boys might have consented, saying that they looked as guilty as the DESTMA staff.

According to the source, one of the teenagers claimed to have come from Asaba to meet with the homosexual, explaining that someone had introduced him to the man.

The source noted that the boys did not own up to having received any financial benefits from the homosexual.

A concerned resident, Mrs Edna, blamed the rise in teenage homosexuals on the abandonment of the boy child by society, noting that so much attention has been shifted to the girl child.

Edna advocated that enlightenment programmes and training for the boy child should be organised.

She called on government at all levels and NGOs to take responsibility in educating and supporting the boy child as well.