“I Remember the Shame and Weight of Starting from Zero” – Gay Nigerian Man Recounts Traumatic ‘Kito’ Experience

 

A US-based Nigerian man, Emmanuel Onwe, has opened up about the helplessness and shame he felt after falling victim to a traumatic ‘Kito’ attack.

‘Kito’ is a term used online to describe a scam where homophobic individuals pose as members of the LGBTQ+ community on social media or dating apps. Their goal is to lure genuine LGBTQ+ users for blackmail, extortion, outing, or even physical harm.

Onwe shared his experience on Thursday, September 4, following a message of appreciation from a follower for a cash gift he had given.

“In 2019, I was kitoed—stripped of everything I had. I remember the helplessness, the shame, the weight of starting from zero. And yet, in that darkness, someone showed me kindness and bought me a new phone,” he wrote.

“That simple act restored my hope. Today, I feel immense gratitude to the Universe for allowing me to pay that kindness forward. It reminds me of the power of Ubuntu—I am because you are. Without community, without each other, we have nothing.”