Nigeria: Seven arrested for violating anti-gay laws

State officials in Nigeria say they have arrested seven individuals suspected of breaking the country’s anti-gay laws.

According to Nigeria’s Punch website, Commander Alhaji Mohammad Gidado from the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps in Jigawa State said that the parents of one of the suspects reported him to officials, adding that after his arrest, the suspect gave information which led to the arrest of other individuals.

Mr Gidado described the conduct of those arrested as “barbaric, animalistic and nasty”, adding that the suspects were between the ages of 18 and 25 years.

“Parents and teachers need to do more in guiding our youths. This kind of behaviour from our future generation is bad,” he said.

In July, the United Nations condemned Nigeria’s Parliament for passing a law that further criminalises same-sex sexual relationships by punishing those who try to enter same-sex marriages with prison terms of up to 14 years.

Nigeria’s House of Representatives approved the bill in May.

The country’s President Goodluck Jonathan has so far not signed the bill into law.

Same-sex sexual relationships are already illegal in Nigeria.

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• May 11

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