Nigeria: 47 men plead 'not gay' to avoid prison

In Nigeria on Wednesday, 47 men told a state court they are innocent of the charges of public displays of affection with members of the same gender. Being gay is a crime in Nigeria, with an up to 10-year jail sentence.

From Reuters:

The Nigerian men, who appeared at a court in the commercial capital Lagos, were among 57 arrested in a police raid on a hotel in the impoverished Egbeda district of the city in 2018.

Police said they were being initiated into a gay club, but the accused said they were attending a birthday party.

The trial is a test case for a law banning gay marriage, punishable by a 14-year jail term, and same-sex amorous relationships. It caused international outcry when it came into force under former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan in 2014.

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