- The Benue state House of Assembly has passed a bill prohibiting same sex unions in the state
- Any person who enters into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union will be deemed to have committed an offence and would be liable on conviction, to a jail term of 14 years
- Former President Goodluck Jonathan had previously signed into law, a bill which outlawed same sex marriages in the country
Same sex marriages have been outlawed in Benue, by the state House of Assembly, Punch reports.
After a clause-by-clause consideration, the bill, titled Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Law, 2018, was eventually passed during a plenary session presided over by the speaker, Terkimbi Ikyange.
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NAIJ.com gathers that the bill states that “a marriage contract or civil union entered into between persons of same sex shall not be solemnised in a church, mosque or any other place of worship in Benue.’’
The bill stipulates that any person who enters into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a jail term of 14 years.
Registration or recognition of gay clubs, societies and organisations, their sustenance, procession and meeting as well as any public display of same sex amorous relationship directly or indirectly have also been prohibited.
The speaker stated that same sex unions had to be prohibited, as they were alien to the culture of the state.
Recall that the bill which outlawed same sex marriages in the country had been signed into law on January 7, 2014, by former President Goodluck Jonathan.
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Meanwhile, NAIJ.com previously reported that a young lady identified as Shalom Shoremi from Ogun state was disowned by her family after she approached a federal marriage registry to request approval for a marriage with her partner.
The family severed all ties with her and released a newspaper advert to announce their decision.
According to the advert, the young lady was rejected by the marriage registry with reasons that her request was against the Same Sex Marriage Prohibition Act of 2014 which declares that same-sex marriage is an illegal act in Nigeria.
UK urges Nigeria to allow same sex unions - on NAIJ.com TV:
Source: Naija.ng