152 violations of LGBTQI Nigerians' human rights in 2016

Colin Stewart is a 45-year journalism veteran living in Southern…

Repeated violations of the human rights of LGBTQI Nigerians continued in 2016, according to a new report from TIERS, The Initiative for Equal Rights.

The report, prepared in cooperation with many Nigerian human rights organizations, found:

152 violations of human rights affecting 232 people between December 2015 and November 2016.
Violations including “blackmail and extortion, assault and battery, invasion of privacy, mob attacks, kidnap, rape and (attempted) murder.”
37 perpetrators, including police officers, working for the government.
107 perpetrators who were private citizens.

The number of reported violations was slightly lower than in the 2015 report, when 172 reported violations affected 282 people.

The report stated, “Although all Nigerian citizens find it difficult to ensure the promotion and protection of their rights and to access basic social services, members of LGBTQI communities face further challenges in addition to those faced by all Nigerians.”

That is caused to a large extent by the so-called “Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act” that took effect in 2014, along with other laws that make LGBTI activity a crime, the report said. It also cited ignorance of LGBTQI issues, religious fundamentalism, stereotypes and prejudice, which “make it unbearable for LGBTQI people to freely exist in Nigerian society,” despite a constitution and treaties that supposedly guarantee human rights for all.

The 67-page report is available for download. See in particular the “case studies” of many specific incidents of human rights violations, starting on Page 12/Page 17 of the report.

Summary of human rights violations in 2016.

The report includes two pages of recommendations to the Nigerian government, police, National Human Rights Commission, and civil society organizations for specific actions that could curb human rights violations.