Nigerian activist aims to take down anti-gay law

By Mike Daemon

Nigerian LGBT rights activist Edafe Okporo is set to push for the repeal of the country’s anti-gay law.

Okporo, who now resides in the U.S after fleeing from Nigeria due to persecution based on his sexual orientation, has just announced on Twitter that he will be filing a lawsuit in a Nigerian federal high court against the Nigerian government to answer for the ceaseless violation of the rights of LGBT Nigerians.

The lawsuit aims to decriminalize homosexuality in the country by overturning the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act [SSMPA] and all similar laws prohibiting sex acts between consenting same-gender loving adults.

Since the SSMPA anti-gay law was enacted in 2014, a series of vicious attacks have been carried out by state and non-state actors against people based on their real or perceived sexual orientation. Okporo aims to put an end to those human rights violations if he wins the lawsuit

Also, sections in the lawsuit will seek to ban law enforcement agencies from harassing pro-LGBT NGO’s especially those providing health care services to LGBTI persons in Nigeria.

No filing date for lawsuit against the anti-gay law has been announced.

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We can expect a backlash from the majority of Nigerians who oppose homosexuality.

Source: Rights Africa

Related articles:

• Nigerian activist won U.S. asylum, now tells what he learned (April 2018, 76crimes.com)
• From afar, pushing for repeal of Nigeria’s anti-gay law (September 2017, 76crimes.com)