Dozens arrested at gay wedding in Nigeria

Gay rights activists in Nigeria are criticizing the arrest and detention this week of dozens of people who attended a same-sex wedding. It is one of the biggest mass arrests in recent years targeting the country’s LGBTQ community.

A Nigerian police spokesperson said 67 people remained in custody on charges they broke the law by attending the same-sex wedding in the Delta state town of Ekpan.

The Delta state police said they received information about Monday’s wedding after officers on routine patrol Sunday randomly stopped one of the invited guests and interrogated him. It was not clear if he was stopped based on what he was wearing.

The police raided the wedding venue on Monday and rounded up the two grooms, along with guests.

Authorities also paraded the defendants before the media and said the accused will be made to face the law.

"We already have the remand warrant from the court to still have them in custody because we still have more evidence to bring up together,” Bright Edafe, the Delta state police spokesman, told VOA by phone, “but by the end of this week, they'll be charged to court."

Edafe said police recovered materials, including hard drugs and gay marriage ceremonial dresses, during the raid.

If convicted, the defendants face 14 years’ imprisonment, according to an anti-homosexuality law that went into effect in 2014. Police said others accused in the case will be jailed for 10 years if convicted.

The latest arrests come five years after police raided a hotel in Lagos and arrested 57 men for homosexuality.

But criticism has been growing following the latest incident. Rights group Amnesty International condemned the arrests in a statement on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, and asked authorities to "put an immediate end to this witch-hunt."

The group said that the arrests discriminated based on perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, and that Nigeria's law was being increasingly used by officers to harass, blackmail and extort victims.

"Basic rights of privacy, freedom of association has been rolled back, and it's worrying because you don't see public pushback against this,” said Kayode Somtochukwu Ani, founder of Queer Union for Economic and Social Transformation. “And because these human rights abuses are launched on minorities, particularly minorities … the state knows that they can drum up moral panic about [it]."

Edafe said he disagrees with activists defending the detainees.

"If Amnesty International knows what they're doing, they'll know that there's a law in this country that prohibits gay marriages, so calling the same government who put that law in place to take action, I wonder what kind of action they're requesting,” he said. “This is Nigeria, and whomever must live in this country must live by the laws of the land."

Homosexuality is widely viewed as a Western import in many parts of Africa, including Nigeria.

In May, Uganda passed a law that punishes homosexuality by imposing the death sentence, despite pressure from Western governments and rights organizations. Two men this week were charged under the new law for what authorities called "aggravated homosexuality."

By Timothy Obiezu, VOA

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Meta launches Creator Lab in Nigeria

We hosted young, emerging and aspiring creators across lifestyle and entertainment as part of our Creator Lab programme in Nigeria. The first-of-its-kind educational program brought creators together in person to connect with fellow creators, participate in immersive workshops and experience the latest innovations within our ecosystem.

The programme, which took place in Lagos, had over 40 creators and influencers present to learn how to explore creativity and grow on Instagram. As part of the programme, the creators were encouraged to create inspiring content that showcases optimism using the hashtag #PositiveVibesOnlyChallenge.

“We are excited to launch Creator Lab Live in Nigeria, a first-of-its-kind event by Instagram to support emerging and aspiring creators to grow on Instagram. Nigeria already has a thriving creator ecosystem with a global cultural influence and provides an excellent opportunity for us to support them as they navigate their journeys and careers. We recognise the amazing content they create across our family of apps and are committed to helping creators to grow their communities and make a living across our platforms. As we work toward shaping the future of digital content and experiences, we are excited and invested in giving creators a home base to build community and create engaging content through various content formats and creative tools.” – Moon Baz, Creator Partnerships Lead, Africa, Middle East and Turkey, Meta

A fireside chat titled “How to Keep Relevant in the Creator Space” was held during the programme with Amarachi Amusi (ashmusy), who spoke about the importance of staying up-to-date with trends and remaining consistent as a creator.

The Creator Lab Live was attended by several talented content creators including Taaooma, Markangelcomedy, Ayomidate, Frank iTom, Miss Techy, De General, Twinz_love, Lizzy Jay, and Geenafoodiesandspice, who also took part in the #PositiveVibesOnlyChallenge. 

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Nigeria to encourage investments rather than borrowing according to finance minister

Nigeria will seek to encourage investments rather than rely on borrowing to create jobs, Finance Minister Olawale Edun said on Monday, as the new government tries to find a solution to sluggish growth, double-digit inflation and a high debt burden.

Edun, 62, who doubles as coordinating minister for the economy, was speaking to reporters in Abuja after president Bola Tinubu held his first meeting with his new cabinet following last week's swearing-in of ministers.

"The federal government is not in a position to borrow at this time," Edun said, adding that the emphasis is on creating a stable environment to attract both local and foreign investments.

Nigeria's economy has been battered by previously low oil prices and the COVID-19 pandemic, which triggered two successive recessions in 2016 and 2020. The country has since exited that recession but growth is still fragile.

The disruptions weakened Nigeria's public finances and created large deficits, leaving the previous government reliant on both local and foreign loans to plug holes in its budgets.

Tinubu at his inauguration in May vowed to expand the economy by at least 6% a year, lift barriers to investment and create jobs, while also tackling rampant insecurity.

He has embarked on some of the boldest reforms that Nigeria has seen in years, including scrapping a popular but costly petrol subsidy and removing exchange rate restrictions. The naira has weakened to record lows.

The reforms are a gamble to try to kick-start growth but inflation has soared, worsening a cost of living crisis.

Edun, an ex-investment banker, who was special adviser to Tinubu on monetary policy before his appointment as minister, said he will focus on fixing Nigeria's public finances.

He added that the government's naira revenues have increased from crude oil proceeds following a devaluation in June.


"The federation earns dollars and if those dollars are feeding through, at let's say, 700 naira or 750 naira or so to one dollar as opposed to 460 naira where it was before. Clearly, that is repairing the finances of government," Edun said.

"So, that's the plan."

By Felix Onuah, Reuters

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