Nigeria’s first gay pastor, founder of secret gay church, House of Rainbow, Rowland Jide Macaulay has said being homosexual was honourable.

He took to his Instagram page @Jidemacaulay expressing the joy and freedom he enjoys for accepting that he is gay rather than self- infliction by pretending to be heterosexual.

He wrote: “To be a homosexual is honourable, a gift from God. It is who I am. God makes no mistakes. Knowing the truth as a gay Christian is liberating and gives me the most joy of my freedom.

“I have paid the price for lying to be heterosexual,Pretending to be who you are will only harm you.

“Everyone was hurt, my father, mother, wife, son, my siblings, in-laws, friends and relatives etc.

“I was FORCED to lie. I justified these lies with religion, culture, tradition and law.

“I lied to myself for all of my adolescence; I lied to my family and friends. Because I didn’t know any better.

“I lied to my ex-wife because I was afraid of telling the truth.

“I lied in my prayers asking God to cure me of homosexuality instead of helping me to come to terms.

“My religious belief and dogma nearly killed me. I wrongly married a woman and badly hurt everyone.

“I suffered emotional and psychological breakdown and through it all I survived.”