The Federal Government has told the United Nations that it would not repeal the anti-gay marriage law in the country.
The
Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr Mohammed
Bello Adoke, made the statement yesterday while receiving a delegation
from the United Nations, led by its High Commissioner on Human Rights,
Navi Pillay.
“I
wish to re-emphasise that our laws do not criminalise individual sexual
orientation,” he said. “The focus of the Act is, therefore, the
discouragement of same-sex marriage which is a reflection of the
overwhelming beliefs and cultural values of the Nigerian people as
demonstrated by a 2013 Opinion Poll, which showed that 92 per cent of
Nigerians reject same-sex marriage.”
“I
can make bold to say that if the government had not taken the pragmatic
step to put in place the punitive mechanism to this conduct,” he added,
“perhaps the vast majority of the people would have taken laws into
their hands and it will be more harmful for people with same sex sexual
orientation.”
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