Written By Lisa Murimi
Nigeria’s gay community is feeling some added worry though: now, misinformation over a new partnership pact with the EU is fueling even more hostility.
The 403-page-long cooperation deal was signed with Nigeria in June. According to several claims, the Samoa Agreement clearly speaks on the rights of the LGBT and the rights or the wrongs of same-sex relationships.
The misinformation started with the Daily Trust in Nigeria, reporting that the terms of agreement mandated respect for rights of LGBTs in return for funding.
However, legal professional Ugo Egbujo provided some perspective by explaining that international contracts are not legally binding, such that it would automatically change Nigerian law. The legislation on same-sex relationships that sentences individuals to up to 14 years imprisonment still stands, just like in 2014.
All of this has been twisted to read that the accord was actually signed to hasten economic development, federal government notwithstanding. The opposition quickly has seized on this to whip up anger and finger-point at the supposed betrayal of faith by President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima. This disinformation quickly went all over social media as a hot topic for influencers and political commentators.
The general LGBT community has suffered from increased hate speech and cyberattacks; these include groups like Wise and individual activists who have closed their sites and protected their profiles on social media. Such hostility seems to enhance the already growing vulnerability of LGBT people in Nigeria due to intense misinformation and heightened political manipulation.
