LAGOS, Nigeria – The Nigerian Senate has voted against same-sex relationships in the country. As the bill received its third reading in the Senate, members of the upper legislative house unanimously voted in favor of passing the bill into law.
The Senate increased the penalty for an offender to up to 14 years imprisonment and a penalty of 10 years for persons considered to be aiding and abetting the commission of gay marriage. In addition the revised bill prohibits the registration of gay clubs or associations.
Amnesty International has reiterated its call on Nigerian authorities to scrap the harsh bill that, if passed into law, would attack basic rights and criminalize relationships between people of the same gender.
“Nigeria’s House of Representatives should show leadership and uphold the rights of all in Nigeria by rejecting this reprehensible bill,” said Erwin van der Borght, director of Amnesty International’s Africa Program.
