Nigerian security forces have detained over 70 people based on allegations that they organized a gay event featuring a wedding ceremony between two men.
These arrests took place on Saturday night in Gombe, a predominantly Muslim state in northern Nigeria, and were officially confirmed on Monday.
According to Buhari Saad, a spokesperson for the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, they apprehended 76 suspected homosexuals who were gathering at a birthday party organized by one of them, which was to include the wedding of one of the men to his male partner.
Among the suspects, there were 59 men and 17 women, with 21 of the men admitting to being gay.
This incident represents the most recent in a series of crackdowns on gay individuals in Nigeria, where a 2014 law criminalized same-sex relationships and marriages, prescribing prison sentences of up to 14 years for those found guilty of such offenses.
In August, security forces arrested 67 individuals for reportedly attending a gay wedding in the southern Delta state, although they were subsequently released on bail by a court.
Source –BBC
