Police moves against LGBTQ community in Nigeria

The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has disclosed its plans to go after members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) community in the country.

The move followed a video on social media where eight people publicly declared their membership in the community. The suspects, three women and five men had uploaded the video on @whernigeria on Tiktok to join the ‘Of Course’ trend and had spoken about their sexual identities.

In his reaction to the viral video, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, Force Public Relations Officer (FPRO), said: “They are criminals and punishable under the law. We are on this clip to take the necessary action according to the provisions of the law in Nigeria. These are unnatural offences and are totally condemned.”

Recall that in 2014, former President Goodluck Jonathan assented to a bill outlawing gay relationships and same-sex marriage. With the assent, anyone convicted of involvement in a gay relationship or entering into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union faces up to 14 years in jail.

It is a crime to have a meeting of homosexuals or to operate or attend a gay club, society, or organisation. Public displays of intimate same-sex affection is also outlawed, while offenders risk 10 years in jail.