NIGERIAN authorities have detained 67 individuals following a large-scale operation targeting a same-sex wedding celebration. The arrests took place in the southern Delta state’s Ekpan town, marking one of the country’s most substantial crackdowns on outlawed homosexuality.
The event, which involved the wedding of two individuals of the same sex, was disrupted by the police at approximately 2 a.m. on Monday, as confirmed by state police spokesman Bright Edafe during a press briefing. Edafe emphasised that the Nigerian stance against homosexuality remains unequivocal, stating that such acts ‘will never be tolerated’ in the West African nation.
Homosexual acts carry severe legal consequences in Nigeria, the most populous country in Africa. The Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act, enacted in 2013, prescribes penalties of up to 10 years in jail for gay individuals, with the same punishment applying to accomplices. Despite receiving both local and international condemnation, the law enjoys support from a significant portion of the Nigerian population.
The operation unfolded when law enforcement personnel stormed a hotel in Ekpan, where the same-sex wedding celebration was underway. Initial reports indicated that around 200 people were detained. However, after preliminary investigations, 67 individuals were held in custody, according to Edafe, who addressed reporters from a police station where the suspects were being paraded.
Edafe recounted, ‘The amazing part of it was that we saw two suspects, and there is a video recording where they were performing their wedding ceremony. We are in Africa and we are in Nigeria. We cannot copy the Western world because we don’t have the same culture.’ He reinforced the notion that Nigerian law enforcement cannot idly witness acts contrary to the nation’s values.
‘This is not something that will be allowed in Nigeria,’ Edafe asserted, underscoring that the arrested individuals would face legal proceedings in court once the investigation concludes.
(with AP)