- The caption of a video shared on social media claims that the federal government of Nigeria has quietly signed a deal to legalise homosexuality in the country
- But the deal is not about LGBTQ rights, and the Nigerian government did not sign it, according to a fact-check report
- Legit.ng reports that over 60 countries have laws that criminalise homosexuality, and nearly half of these are in Africa
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9-year-experience covering public journalism
FCT, Abuja – A video circulating on social media claim that the Bola Tinubu administration has secretly signed an agreement to legalise LGBTQ in the country.
LGBTQ means lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer.
![Tinubu/Tinubu news/Latest about Tinubu/LGBTQ in Nigeria Tinubu/Tinubu news/Latest about Tinubu/LGBTQ in Nigeria](https://netstorage-legit.akamaized.net/images/45dc52402e08502b.png?imwidth=900)
Source: Facebook
The poorly-written caption of the video reads:
“GAY & LESBIANISM IS NOW LEGAL IN NIGERIA! This was signed Codedly I saw this coming.
“One of the reasons why Tinubu will agree to this is because of USA and EU. It is probably part of the agreement he with them so they can legitimize him. I wonder how Shettima feels about this.
“I wonder what the Muslim society feels about this. wonder what the Christian society feels about this. I wonder the Sharia practicing states in Nigeria feels about this.”
The video appears on Facebook here, and here.
Gay, lesbianism stil illegal in Nigeria
Claims of this alleged development prompted an Islamic human rights association, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), to ask President Tinubu to “shun the LGBTQ accord.
In a statement sent to Legit.ng on Saturday, December 2, MURIC said Western countries under the aegis of the European Union-ACP (Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific (ACP) have been putting Nigeria under pressure to join countries that legalise lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) relationship.
However, a fact-checking platform, Africa Check, investigated the claim that Nigeria has signed an agreement to legalise homosexuality. Its conclusion can be seen below:
“Nigeria’s Same-sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013, which came into force in 2014, prohibits the “public show of same-sex amorous relationship” and stipulates a 14-year jail term for a “person who enters into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union commits an offence and is liable on conviction”. The law remains in force.
“The claim that the Nigerian government has signed an agreement to legalise homosexuality in the country is false.”
Police arrest over 100 gay suspects in Delta
In an earlier report, Legit.ng reported that the Delta police command announced that it arrested over 100 suspects linked to a gay wedding ceremony held in the state.
In a post on its official X (formerly known as Twitter) page, the police stated that the suspects were arrested at a hotel in the state.
Authorities disrupt gay wedding in Kano
In a piece of related news, Legit.ng reported that the Kano state Hisbah Board arrested no fewer than 19 persons for attending a suspected gay wedding.
The arrest was confirmed by Hisbah spokesperson, Lawan Ibrahim.
Ibrahim stated that the 19 persons arrested for attending the suspected homosexual wedding of Abba and Mujahid were youths and their attendance at the event was the reason for their arrest.
Source: Legit.ng