Ambassador Aminu Wali, has told the
United Nations that Nigeria will not
repeal the law banning same-sex
relationship and marriage.
He urged the United Nations High
Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms.
Navi Pillay, who paid him a courtesy visit
on Thursday in Abuja, to accept Nigeria's
position on same-sex marriage.
According to him, same-sex marriage is
against the way of life of Nigerians who
have expressed support for the
government on the anti-gay law.
He said 99 per cent of Nigerians
supported the anti-gay law.
Wali said based on the culture and
tradition of the Nigerian people, they
would never accept same-sex marriage
and relationship.
"With time, things may improve, but
Nigeria is fundamentally a very religious
society and our people cannot
understand same-sex relationship.
"Personally too, I do not accept same-
sex marriage even though it conflicts
with international norms on human
rights," he said.
The minister chided some members of
the international community for making
"a lot of noise" after President Goodluck
Jonathan approved the law.
He said that Nigeria had always
operated a legal system that did not
recognise same-sex marriage. The
minister cited the country's common,
Sharia and customary laws as examples
of the nation's laws that prohibited
homosexuality.
He assured the UN chief that the law
prohibiting same-sex marriage in Nigeria
would not allow unnecessary
prosecution of people.
The minister said that Nigeria had
respect for freedom of speech and
human rights, adding that "we have
always had good records in all aspects of
human rights."
On the Boko Haram insurgency, Wali
said that the Federal Government had
consistently protected the rights of
insurgents captured during military
operations, even when they did not
deserve such protection.
Wali said there was no credible case of
"extra-judicial killings or summary
executions" of insurgents captured
during military operations.
He said that the captured insurgents
were in various jails in the country,
while some had been subjected to
prosecution.
Wali pledged Nigeria's support for the
UN Human Rights Council resolution to
end attacks, harassment and reprisals
against human rights defenders.
The resolution was adopted in
September 2013 by the UNHRC.
Earlier, Pillay had said that the anti-gay
law "is a violation of the human rights
enshrined in the international covenant
of civil and political rights. It
contravenes Africa's charter and the
Nigerian constitution itself."
She added that the UN was concerned
with the negative consequences the law
would have on some people.
Pillay argued that it might deter the
affected persons from taking up HIV
education, treatment and care facilities
and also hindered government and the
civil society groups.
"I am seeking your good office to see
some kind of moratorium on prosecution
at this moment. We can do much more
work to have all Nigerians respect the
human rights of all people, to respect
diversity, to promote values of
tolerance, acceptance with targeted
training for law enforcement and other
things."
Pillay, who noted that Nigeria had
improved on human rights protection,
pointed out that the country was still
lagging behind in some of the human
rights reports.
"Nigeria is behind in many of its reports
and I am here to see how best we can
support you in catching up with those
reports," she said.
Citing the resolution adopted by the UN
Council on Human Rights in March 2013,
she argued that the use and abuse of
national law to impair and criminalise
the work of human right defenders was
"a contravention of international law and
must end."
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