A Christian group, the National Prayer Altar, has urged the National Assembly to pass a law imposing a 14-year jail term for cross-dressers in Nigeria.
The group also called on the Federal Government to strengthen laws against the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer community.
Speaking at a press conference, NPA Coordinator Pastor Bosun Emmanuel described the rising trend of cross-dressing and LGBTQ practices as “sodomy” and a threat to Nigerian values. “We are witnessing an alarming rate of moral decay in society. There must be laws to stop the promotion of this practice. Anyone supporting or promoting LGBTQ publicly should face arrest and prosecution,” Emmanuel stated.
The group further demanded that films, videos, and publications promoting LGBTQ content be banned under the proposed legislation.
Meanwhile, the Foundation for Cultural Heritage has raised concerns over international agreements Nigeria has signed, calling them “neo-colonial policies harmful to Nigeria’s cultural and legal values.”
FACH, a coalition of groups including Family Action Africa and the Global Pro-life Alliance, urged the government to either withdraw from agreements like the Samoa Agreement and the pandemic treaty or include clauses rejecting provisions that promote LGBTQ rights, same-sex marriage, abortion, and transgenderism.
“These agreements contradict Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2014 and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights,” said Sonnie Ekwowusi, Chairman of the Human and Constitutional Rights Committee of the African Bar Association. He pointed to clauses in the agreements, such as Article 36(2), which he claimed undermine Nigeria’s cultural and legal framework.
Other speakers at the Lagos press conference also criticized surrogacy practices and educational policies. Mrs. Omoye Olaye, Convener of Parental Care Initiative for Future Leadership, argued that Nigeria’s school curriculum reflected colonial influences.
A gynaecologist, Dr. Obielumani Ideh, expressed concerns about the pandemic treaty, saying it gives excessive power to the World Health Organization to impose health policies on nations during pandemics.
Chief Executive Officer of Eveh’s Social Care Foundation, Jacinta Akuchinyere Adeyemi, condemned a bill regulating surrogacy, which has passed the second reading in the House of Representatives. “The bill disregards the cultural and ethical implications of surrogacy in our society,” Adeyemi said.
Both groups urged the government to act swiftly to protect Nigeria’s cultural values and legal sovereignty from external influences.
