47 Nigerian men plead not guilty to homosexuality charge

Forty-seven Nigerian men pleaded not guilty to a homosexuality charge in Lagos on Wednesday that could send them to jail for up to 10 years. Homosexuality is outlawed in many socially conservative African societies where some religious groups brand it a corrupting Western import. The men were among 57 arrested in a police raid on a hotel in the impoverished Egbeda district in August 2018.

Police said the men were being 'initiated' into a 'gay club', but the accused said they were attending a birthday party. The trial could serve as a test case for the law, which criminalizes public displays of affection with members of the same sex, bans gay marriage, and outlaws same-sex 'amorous relationships.' The case was postponed until December 11. The judge granted each of the men bail, provided they can post 500,000 naira and provide a surety who is either a civil servant or resides in Lagos state and has a "reasonable" income.