Nigeria’s President,
Goodluck Jonathan has signed into law, the same-sex prohibition bill.
This means that it
is now a criminal offence for same-sex relationships.
The bill, which was passed by the
National Assembly in May 2013, contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison
and bans gay marriage, same-sex “amorous relationships” and membership of gay
rights groups.
Two similar bills have been
proposed since 2006 but failed to make it through Parliament.
The Special Adviser to the
President on Media, Reuben Abati, confirmed this to Reuters News Agency. Dr Abati added that the bill will be issued
on it within the week.
Under existing Nigerian Federal
Law, sodomy is punishable by jail, but this bill legislates for a much broader
crackdown on homosexuals and lesbians, who currently operate underground.
Britain
and some other Western countries have threatened to cut aid to Africa and other
parts of the world over gay rights laws.
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