28.2 C
Accra
Thursday, December 26, 2024
WorldNigerian police officer tells gays: Leave country or face prosecution

Date:

Nigerian police officer tells gays: Leave country or face prosecution

A high-ranking Nigerian policewoman has warned gay people living in the country to leave or risk criminal prosecution.

Dolapo Badmos, a Chief Superintendent and spokeswoman for the Lagos State Police Command, made the comments on her personal Instagram account, which is set to private and has 125,000 followers.

“If you’re homosexually inclined, Nigeria is not a place for you,” Badmos wrote last week.

“There is a law (Same-sex Prohibition Act) here that criminalizes homosexual clubs, associations, and organizations with penalties of up to 14years (sic) in jail.

“So if you are homosexual in nature, leave the country or face prosecution,” wrote Badmos, who has attained celebrity status in the country due to her frequent social media posts.

Read: Nigerian police arrests 57 homosexuals

Former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan signed the controversial Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act (SSMPA) into law, despite widespread international objection.

Those found guilty of being in a same-sex relationship face up to 14 years in jail.

The law was widely condemned by human rights organizations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch at the time, as well as the then United States Secretary of State, John Kerry.

Badmos’ comments are the latest reminder of the challenges facing members of the LGBT community in a country where the anti-gay law enjoys broad support among its citizens.

According to a survey of 2,000 individuals conducted by The Initiative for Equal Rights (TIERs), a Nigeria-based human rights organization, about 90% of Nigerians support the continued enforcement of the SSMPA.

Following her post, Badmos received scores of comments, with most of them expressing support for the proposed prosecution of gay people living in Nigeria.

“It is illegal and ungodly,” one user wrote. Another user said, “we must say no to lesbianism and homosexuality it’s evil.” Badmos did not respond to CNN’s requests for clarification on her comments.

Read: US Supreme Court allows Trump military transgender ban

A spokesman for Lagos State police declined to comment and referred the inquiry back to Badmos. Olumide Makanjuola, executive director at TIERs, told CNN the Instagram post is tantamount to inciting violence against LGBTQ people in Nigeria, calling her comments “unacceptable.”

“Police should be wary with their statement and if they incite violence. What she said is out of line,” Makanjuola said.

Homophobia is widespread in many African countries. More than half of the countries on the continent have enacted laws that make it illegal to be gay and in several, including Somalia and South Sudan, homosexuality is punishable by death.

A 2013 Pew Research survey found that 98% of people in Nigeria believe LGBTQ people should not be accepted by society.

However, a 2017 survey by NOI Polls commissioned by TIERs showed a seven percent increase in the acceptance rates of LGBTQ people in Nigeria when compared to a similar survey from two years earlier.

Many of the people who commented under Badmos’ post also singled out an openly transgender individual, who is prominent on social media, and called for their arrest.

 

Source: CNN

[forminator_poll id="710479"]

Latest stories

I have been trying to make peace with Stonebwouy for the past 5 years – Kelvynboy

Ghanaian Afrobeats artist Kelvynboy, whose real name is Kelvin...

Ghanaian lady goes viral for her resemblance to Martha Ankomah

A Ghanaian woman has become an internet sensation after...

Stop misleading the public with unverified information – MoE to WAEC PRO

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has urged the Public...

Ghana’s Afua Asantewaa hits 121hrs to complete Sing-a-thon

Ghanaian media figure Afua Asantewaa has concluded her sing-a-thon.This...

Ghana still the Mecca of Black race – Bagbin on respect for Democratic governance

Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, has reassured Ghana’s youth...

Directive to submit nominees for appointments is invalid – NDC warns

The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic...

Related stories

Biden grants full pardon to son Hunter amid criminal sentencing

US President Joe Biden has granted a full and...

Court issues 2-year suspended death sentence to former Bank of China Chair for bribery, others

Former Bank of China chairman Liu Liange on Tuesday received...

Ghanaians among UN peacekeepers injured in Southern Lebanon attacks

The UN peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon has reported...

Russia denies Trump told Putin to restrain Ukraine war efforts

The Kremlin has rejected media reports suggesting that US...

More than 100 detained as protesters defy Amsterdam’s ban on protests

Dozens of pro-Palestinian protesters were arrested in Amsterdam on...

Traffic jam erupts as cyclists from Zhengzhou to Kaifeng for dumplings

A social media trend that began as a lighthearted...

Adin Ross wins $1.6m on Trump election bet after public endorsement

American streamer and social media influencer Adin Ross scored...