Sharia police arrest 12 gay men accused of planning to wed inKano

Sharia police arrested 12 men
accusing them of attempting gay marriage in Kano, though 10 were
later released spokesman for the board
overseeing Islamic rules in the area said on
Tuesday.
Gay marriage, same-sex relationships and
membership of gay rights groups were banned
in January 2014 by President Goodluck
Jonathan despite Western pressures over gay
rights and threats of aid cuts to those passing
laws that persecute homosexuals.
Nigeria's population is roughly split between
predominantly Christians in the south and
Muslims in the north. As in much of sub-
Saharan Africa, anti-gay sentiment extends
across the religious divide.
A spokesman for the sharia law group,
Mohammed Yusuf Yola, said the men were
arrested at the scene of the ceremony on the
outskirts of Kano on Sunday following a tip-
off.
"It is still an allegation but when we screened
them, they really looked gay, and the way they
behaved was gay," Yola said.
Ten out of the 12 suspects were released after
their parents signed a statement saying they
would keep their children away from such
activities, Yola said, but would be handed over
to the police for prosecution if they were
caught again. Nigeria's anti-gay laws provide
for sentences of up to 14 years in prison.