Seventy-six individuals were taken into custody for attending a birthday gathering for gay people in northern Nigeria, as reported by the country’s paramilitary agency on Monday. They also mentioned that the organizer had planned to hold a same-sex wedding, which is against the law.
These are the most recent arrests of LGBTQ Nigerians, following a police raid in August on a gay wedding in the southern city of Warri in Delta state, where many people were detained. Those accused have been released on bail.
In Nigeria, like in most parts of Africa, being homosexual is generally seen as not acceptable. In 2014, a law against homosexuality was put into place, even though it was criticized by many around the world.
Buhari Saad, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) spokesperson for the largely Muslim Gombe state, said after receiving a tip off, the agency raided a party on Saturday night that was being attended by “homosexuals and pimps”.
He said 59 men had been arrested, including 21 who confessed to being homosexual, and 17 women.
The Gombe NSCDC said in a statement that the organizer of the birthday party had also planned to wed another man, who was still at large, before police raided the event.
The anti-gay law in Africa’s most populous nation includes a prison term of up to 14 years for those convicted, and bans gay marriage, same-sex relationships, and membership of gay rights groups.
The case was expected to be heard in the Gombe state High Court on Tuesday, Saad said.
SOURCE:CNN