53 men arrested in Nigeria for celebrating same-sex wedding

53 men have been arrested in Nigeria for celebrating a same-sex wedding.

Nigerian police confirmed they had arrested the group of young men for “belonging to a gang of unlawful society”, according to Associated Press.

The men were arrested on Saturday (April 15) in the northern city of Zaria during a celebration to mark to wedding of a same-sex couple, prosecuting officer Mannir Nasir told a court on Wednesday (April 19).

A defence lawyer for the group said most of the accused were students and that they had been illegally detained by the authorities for more than 24 hours, local outlet Premium Times reports.

Same-sex marriage is banned in Nigeria, while the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act introduced in 2014 also made it a criminal offence to perform or witness a gay wedding ceremony.

The devastatingly repressive bill, signed into law by former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan, also outlawed LGBT+ organisations, gay clubs, and public displays of affection between same-sex couples.

As well as the ban on marriage, both male and female same-sex sexual activity is illegal in Nigeria. The maximum punishment is 14 years in prison, though areas of the Muslim-majority north also carry the death penalty under Islamic law.

The 53 men have pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy and unlawful assembly. They have been granted bail and their next hearing has been set for May 8.

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