Nearly 70 people arrested in Nigeria after celebrating an illegal gay wedding

 Around 67 people have been detained by police after celebrating a gay wedding in Nigeria. They were arrested in Ekpan, a district of Warri, at about 2am local time on Monday, a police spokesperson confirmed. Police stormed the hotel where the wedding was held and 200 people were initially arrested.

The police spokesperson said homosexuality ‘will never be tolerated’ in the West African nation.

He said: ‘The amazing part of it was that we saw two suspects, and there is a video recording where they were performing their wedding ceremony,’ he said.

‘We are in Africa and we are in Nigeria. We cannot copy the Western world because we don’t have the same culture.’

He reiterated police officers in Nigeria ‘cannot fold their hands’ and watch gay people openly express their orientation in the country.

‘This is not something that will be allowed in Nigeria,’ he said, adding that the suspects will be charged in court at the end of the investigation.

Nigeria is notorious for its anti-gay laws, where the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act introduced in 2013 carries up to 10 years in jail for gay individuals, including accomplices.

While the law is condemned locally and internationally it is supported by many in Nigeria.

Author: Linda .R. Jones

London, UK

lindarj83@gmail.com