By John khakhu.
Basil Okorie, 49- years old man and a suspected gay will have to face a 14-year imprisonment charge or death penalty in Kano State over his alleged involvement in a gay related crime committed in 2015 when found guilty.
The incident which happened in Bompai Road, Kano, Nigeria, left the suspect in fear after the death of his Ex Partner who was to make an attempt to cross the libya sea to European countries.
The victim whose name is withdrawn for safety purposes is believed to be a Chief Priest in one of the churches in Kanu State.
In Kano State, it is a major crime which attracts the death penalty.
According to reports, the Nigeria Police Operatives have launched a manhunt operation to bring Okorie, an Imo Born Citizen, to face the consequences of his action.
It was gathered that the Nigeria police has been after the suspect since November 2015 because of the death of his suspected ex partner whose personality was revealed as a church priest.
Since 2015 the incident occurred, the 49 years old Basil Okorie escaped and was allegedly declared wanted by the Nigeria Police Force for Practicing gay, a prohibited activity that is likely to attract severe consequences when charged to court.
In Nigeria, Same-sex sexual activity is prohibited under the Criminal Code Act and the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act 2013 SSMPA, which between them criminalise acts of ‘carnal knowledge against the order of nature’, ‘gross indecency’, same-sex unions, and LGBT advocacy.
These provisions carry a maximum penalty of fourteen years’ imprisonment.
Both men and women are criminalised under the law. Same-sex sexual activity is also criminalised at the state level through sharia law, under which the maximum sentence is death by stoning.
In addition to potentially being captured by laws that criminalise same-sex activity, trans people may also face prosecution under state level sharia laws.
The laws criminalising ‘carnal knowledge against the order of nature’ and ‘gross indecency’ were inherited from the British during the colonial period, in which the English criminal law was imposed upon Nigeria.
Nigeria retained these provisions upon independence, and further criminalised LGBT people through the adoption of the SSMPA in 2013. At the state level, the northern states criminalise same-sex sexual activity through an interpretation of sharia law.