Sources indicate that homosexual acts between consenting adult males are illegal in Nigeria (Home Office Mar. 1999, 31; ILGA Bulletin July-Sept. 1998, 9; Gay Rights Info n.d.; The Washington Post 26 Feb. 1997). The penalty for conviction of engaging in homosexual behaviour varies from a maximum 14 years imprisonment, according to one source (Gay Rights Info n.d.), to "three months to three years imprisonment or a fine and/or corporal punishment," according to a UK Home Office report (Mar. 1999, 31). The latter report states that the Nigerian justice system "considers homosexual behaviour with varying degrees of statutory punishment" (ibid.). Nigerian statutes reportedly make no mention of same-sex relations between women (ILGA Bulletin July-Sept. 1998, 9), although 1997 reports indicate the government was proposing to criminalize such acts with up to three years imprisonment (IGLHRC Dec. 1997; Post Express 18 July 1997). The current status of the government proposal is unknown.

With regard to societal attitudes toward homosexuality, the UK Home Office report states:

Homosexual males in Nigeria are likely to face discrimination and occasional violence if they are overt about their sexual orientation, but not on an organised or systematic scale. Society is not openly hostile but homosexuals can be subject to ridicule. There are some areas in Nigeria where it is possible to live openly as a homosexual - such as in a large city like Lagos. There have been instances of homosexuals being subjected to violence, but they usually keep themselves to themselves and are usually left alone (Mar. 1999, 31).

The following information, obtained from Nigerian and international media sources, provides a sampling of societal attitudes toward homosexuality in Nigeria.

At the 1998 Lambeth Conference, a three-week long world gathering of Anglican bishops held every 10 years, homosexuality proved to be a divisive issue, with bishops from Nigeria among its staunchest opponents (The Washington Post 6 Aug. 1998; The Herald 26 Sept. 1998; The Guardian 8 Aug. 1998; The Evening Standard 5 Aug. 1998). Conservative Nigerian bishop Chukwuma, described as a "staunch antigay," reportedly "verbally attacked" members of the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement attending the conference (ibid.). According to The Guardian, many of the strongest opponents of homosexuality at the conference came from African countries like Nigeria where "there is bitter confrontation between Christians and Muslims" (8 Aug. 1998).

On 27 September 1997 the Post Express reviewed The Cradle, a book by pan-Africanist Naiwu Osahon that reportedly intends to be the "bible of the entire black race," and in Osahon's words, mobilize the "entire Black race into the Pan-African Movement (PAM)." The book discusses in detail practices to be "avoided by every member of the African family," including homosexuality, which it describes as

anti-humanity, anti-nature and worst [sic] than bestiality because it is unrecognised in the animal kingdom. It represents the highest form of societal rot, decadence.... If any race or group of people wants to self-destroy, may be that is their curse after centuries of exploiting and dehumanising other racial groups. There is nothing hip about self-imposed racial annihilation through homosexuality (ibid.).

Other publications similarly describe lesbianism and homosexuality as "unnatural acts" engaged in by morally depraved persons "usually associated with the rich, ... the bored" and the politically powerful (The Guardian 31 July 1999; Post Express 18 July 1999).

In the 2 Oct. 1998 issue of the Post Express, Abdule Dewale Mohammed, president of the Child Welfare League of Nigeria (CWLN), criticized the Nigerian media for airing a 26 September 1998 radio broadcast by a "self-confessed lesbian." The CWLN president, equating homosexuality with addiction, criticized the media for "propagat[ing] negative and immoral values into an already troubled society," and stated that "it is unAfrican and condemnable in our cultural setting to engage in or publicly promote lesbianism or homosexuality" (ibid.). He further indicated that homosexual practices had become "rampant in most of the nation's tertiary institutions due to the non-existence of moral education in schools," and urged the media to help educate the public to "curb the growing incidence of illicit acts of lesbianism and/or homosexuality" (ibid.). Other public figures have also ascribed lesbianism to moral degeneracy, equated it with "prostitution, fornication and adultery," and demanded punishments (The Guardian 1 Aug. 1999). Nigerian women's groups aligned with the Church are among the staunchest opponents of lesbianism, reportedly believing the behaviour is caused by "hormonal, ... genetic and chromosomal problems" (Off Our Backs Nov. 1998). One editorial writer described the government's proposed law against lesbianism as "one of the boldest and most progressive steps taken by any government since independence" (Post Express 18 July 1999). The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) reports that anti-lesbian rapes occur with "regularity and impunity" in Nigeria, and often go unreported (IGLHRC Action Alert Apr.-June 1997, 15).

On 19 September 1999 the Lagos-based Guardian reported that four cadet officers at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna had been expelled for involvement in homosexual activities. According to the report, which described homosexuality as an "affliction" and "social ill," prior to expulsion the four cadets were charged, tried and convicted of the offence by an "appropriate disciplinary arm of the institution" (ibid.).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

The Evening Standard [London]. 5 August 1998. Hazel Southam. "Repent, Says Bishop in Gay Rights Clash." (NEXIS)

Gay Rights Info. Updated 29 September 1999. "Homosexual Rights Around the World: Nigeria." http://www.actwin.com/eatonohio/gay/world.htm [Accessed 8 Oct. 1999]

The Guardian [London]. 8 August 1998. Madeleine Bunting. "Hard Line on Gay Sex 'Strengthens Ecumenical Bond.'" (NEXIS)

The Guardian [Lagos]. 19 September 1999. "NDA Expels Four Cadets Over Homosexuality." http://www.nigerianews.net/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 1999]

_____. 1 August 1999. "Islamic Scholars Disagree on Female Circumcision." http://www.nigerianews.net/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 1999]

_____. 31 July 1999. "Police List 839 Murders in Eight Years." http://www.nigerianews.net/ [Accessed 7 Oct. 1999]

The Herald [Glasgow]. 26 September 1998. Trevor Grundy. "A Voice for the Condemned." (NEXIS)

Home Office, Asylum and Appeals Policy Directorate, London. March 1999. Nigeria: Country Assessment. http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/ind/cipu/.htm [Accessed 8 Oct. 1999]

International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC). n.d. "Sodomy Fact Sheet: A Global Overview: Criminalization and Decriminalization of Homosexual Acts." http://www.iglhrc.org/news/factsheets/sodomy.html [Accessed 4 Oct. 1999]

_____. December 1997. Sydney Levy. "1997 Year In Review: Nigeria." http://www.iglhrc.org/news/features/1997_review.html [Accessed 4 Oct. 1999]

IGLHRC Action Alert [San Franciso]. April-June 1997. Vol. 6, No. 2. "AntiLesbian Rapes in Nigeria." http://www.iglhrc.org/ern/em_en_mar97.html#nigeria [Accessed 30 Jan. 1998]

ILGA Bulletin [Brussels]. July-September 1998. Issue 3. "GLBT Human Rights Annual Report 97-98."

Off Our Backs [n.p.]. November 1998. Sarah Bassey. "Lesbians in Nigeria." (NEXIS)

Post Express [Lagos]. 2 October 1998. Vivian Mordi. "Radio Station Condemned for Airing Lesbian's Confession." http://www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 7 Oct. 1999]

_____. 27 September 1997. Jimmy Essiet. "Naiwu Osahon: Filling a Spiritual Void?" http://www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 7 Oct. 1999]
_____. 18 July 1997. "Editorial: Protecting Future Generations." http://www.postexpresswired.com [Accessed 7 Oct. 1999]

The Washington Post. 6 August 1998. Final Edition. T.R. Reid. "Anglican Church Leaders Condemn Homosexual Activity." (NEXIS)

_____. 26 February 1996. Final Edition. "Homosexuals Targeted for Abuse." (NEXIS)

AfricaNews online [Durham, NC]. 1998

Amnesty International country file. 1996-1999

Amnesty International online. 1996-1999

Human Rights in Developing Countries Yearbook. 1995-1997

Human Rights Watch/Africa [New York]. 1996-1999

IGLHRC Action Alert. 1996-1999

ILGA Bulletin. 1996-1999

Indexed Media Review (IMR) [Ottawa]. Mar. 1998

New African [London]. Mar. 1998

Nigeria country file. 1996-1999

NigeriaNews online. 1998

Panafrican News Agency (PANA) online. 1998

The Third Pink Book: A Global View of Lesbian and Gay Liberation and Oppression. 1993.

Vanguard [Lagos]. 1998

West Africa [London]. Mar. 1998

World News Connection (WNC). 1996-1999

Electronic sources: IRB databases; LEXIS/NEXIS; Internet

Two oral sources contacted.