‘WITCH-HUNT’

Nigerian Cops Arrest More Than 200 at Suspected Gay Wedding

A police spokesperson said that more than 60 people are expected to be prosecuted for “allegedly conducting and attending” the ceremony.

More than 200 people were arrested Monday at a wedding in Nigeria after a police raid targeting the gay community, according to CNN. A police spokesperson told media on Tuesday that 67 people are expected to be prosecuted for “allegedly conducting and attending a same-sex wedding ceremony.” Same-sex relationships remain illegal in the West African country, and members of the LGBTQ+ community can face yearslong prison terms under the Nigerian Penal Code. Gay people seeking to get married can be imprisoned for up to 14 years, while so-called “accomplices” face a decade behind bars. In a live broadcast on Tuesday, according to CNN, a police official, flanked by some of the suspects, condemned the ceremony as evil, saying, “we cannot copy the western world… we are Nigeria and we must follow the culture of this country.” In a statement posted to Twitter, Amnesty International Nigeria called for “an immediate end to this witch-hunt,” demanding state police release the detainees.