Nigeria police spokesperson tells gay people: Leave or face prosecution
Chief Superintendent Dolapo Badmos has sent out a chilling warning to gay people in Nigeria (Npfprolagos2016/facebook)
A prominent police officer in Nigeria has told gay people to “leave the country or face prosecution.”
Dolapo Badmos, a Chief Superintendent and Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, also urged citizens to report gay people to the police, according to Nigerian newspaper The Punch.
On January 17, Badmos told her 125,000 Instagram followers: “If you are homosexually inclined, Nigeria is not a place for you.
“There is a law (Same sex Prohibition Act) here that criminalises homosexual clubs, associations and organisations with penalties of up to 14 years in jail.
“All LGBT candidates in Nigeria should beware”
— Dolapo Badmos
“So if you are homosexual in nature, leave the country or face prosecution.”
Badmos added: “But before you say does these matter?! Kindly note that anything against the law of the land is criminal and all crimes will be punished accordingly no matter how small you think it is.”
She quoted the law, which says that anyone found guilty of having gay sex in 12 northern states can be stoned to death, before writing: “All LGBT candidates in Nigeria should beware.”
Nigeria police officer calls for reports of gay people
After Badmos posted the message on Instagram, she reportedly received numerous messages from commenters about a person who they said should be arrested for being gay.
The officer responded by writing: “In view of my last post about homosexuals and the law banning them, some people have been mentioning one particular name (very risky though) to be one.
“Kindly be informed that if you have any evidence or exhibits that can establish the case against him/her, please don’t hesitate to bring it up for a comprehensive investigation,” she continued.
Dolapo Badmos posted the message with this Instagram photo of herself (opetodolapo/instagram)
“Prosecution and conviction of suspects are not based on imagination rather it is based on evidence otherwise it will be treated as hearsay which is not admissible in court.
“Until then, let us keep our fingers crossed and not keep our lives risky. Thank you.”
Responding on Twitter, Nigerian LGBT rights activist Bisi Alimi called the posts “a declaration of war… There is no better way to put it.”
He added: “To everyone who says we are forcing our sexuality on them or says our fear is unjust and made up—now you know better.”
Nigeria police often arrest lesbian and gay citizens
A lesbian couple and nine other women were arrested last month for planning the pair’s wedding.
They were detained in the northern state of Kano, where anyone convicted of having lesbian sex can be sentenced to death by stoning.
This was the latest in a long line of anti-LGBT actions by the authorities in Nigeria.
In August, police raided a hotel in Lagos and arrested 57 men on suspicion of having gay sex, just weeks after six men in the south-eastern state of Abia were arrested for the same reason.
The 57 men, who said they were simply attending a birthday party, were charged by a court with three counts of conspiracy, belonging to a secret cult and unlawful gathering, and were each held on bail of ₦200,000 (£430).
Last year, 42 men were arrested at Lagos hotel for having gay sex, just months after 45 out of a group of 53 people arrested on suspicion of attending a same-sex wedding jumped bail.
