Men of the Nigeria Police, Osun state command on Sunday arrested some people, including students and lecturers accused of violating anti-gay law by allegedly participating in a gay wedding disguised as a students welcome party.
Speaking with newsmen on the issue, the command’s spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, said 21 individuals, including five lecturers and 16 students of the state university, were arrested at a Ariya global hotel in Okuku for conducting and attending the purported gay wedding, which is prohibited under Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act.
She explained that the act is prohibited under the relevant laws of the country, saying, “homosexuality would never be tolerated in Nigeria.”
According to the police image maker, “Citizens of Nigeria cannot copy the Western world because we don’t have the same culture.”
She added that police officers “cannot fold their hands” and watch gay people openly express their orientation in the country.
Read Also: Police arrest officers involved in LAUTECH student’s murder
“This is not something that will be allowed in Nigeria,”
She added that the suspects will be charged in court at the end of the investigation.
The suspects were later paraded before the media, where they were questioned about the allegations and the circumstances surrounding the event.
Police further disclosed that several individuals involved are still at large, including two hotel staff members, the manager Oluwafemi (surname withheld) and the receptionist Arike (surname withheld).
Police have appealed to the public for information to help locate those still at large.
The incident has unsettled the usually peaceful community of Okuku, known for its deep-rooted cultural and traditional values. Community leaders described the gathering as an “abomination” and expressed outrage, stressing that never in the history of the community has such an event occurred.
Nigeria’s Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, signed into law in 2014, criminalizes same-sex marriage and public displays of same-sex relationships with penalties of up to 14 and 10 years in prison respectively.
The law also bans establishing, supporting, or participating in same-sex organizations.
Human Rights Watch, in a 2016 report, criticized the legislation, arguing that it has fueled arbitrary arrests, extortion, and other abuses against LGBT people.