Authorities in Nigeria recently arrested 5 men who were accused of being gay, with the country seeing an increase in hostility towards LGBTQ+ people. According to local news source Vanguard, the men were arrested in the city of Kano, with the head of the local government board, Dr Harun Ibn-Sina, confirming the incident.
Although few details about the arrest were released, the men were allegedly ‘engaging in homosexuality’ and could face up to 14 years in prison if found guilty due to national bans on same-sex relations. Similar incidents have occurred frequently over the past few years, with 15 people being arrested last year for attending what was described by authorities as a ‘gay party’.
The Human Rights Watch reported that LGBTQ+ people, particularly gay men, are often arrested and then tortured until authorities obtain a confession. Nigeria strengthened its ban on same-sex relations in 2013 by passing the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, which prohibits LGBTQ+ couples from cohabiting.
You must be logged in to post a comment.