In the southern city of Warri in Delta state, Nigerian police conducted a raid on a gay wedding, an illegal activity in the country, and apprehended 67 individuals, according to a statement released by the authorities. The tipoff about the event came during the interrogation of a male cross-dresser, who was found dressed as a female, on August 27, as per Delta police spokesman Edafe Bright’s late Tuesday statement. The specific date of the raid was not mentioned in the statement.
In Nigeria, as in much of Africa, homosexuality is generally regarded as unacceptable, and although cross-dressing is not illegal, it is socially frowned upon. Despite international criticism, a law criminalizing homosexuality went into effect in 2014. Bright stated, “The policemen chased and arrested a total number of 67 suspects both male and female for allegedly conducting and attending a same-sex wedding ceremony.”
Authorities are currently making efforts to apprehend other individuals who managed to flee the scene, added Bright. Nigeria, with its high population, has an anti-gay law in place that imposes a potential prison sentence of up to 14 years for those found guilty, and it also prohibits same-sex marriage, same-sex relationships, and involvement in gay rights organizations.
(Reporting by Tife Owolabi; Writing by Elisha Bala-Gbogbo; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Credit: The Star : News Feed
