More than 40 men were arrested in Nigeria over the weekend for engaging in homosexual acts, the country’s police said.
The men are due to appear in court later today.
Local media outlet Punch reports that the police raided a hotel in Lagos on Saturday afternoon then cordoned it off as investigations were carried out.
Nigeria has outlawed homosexuality, with those found to have engaged in the act at risk of receiving up to 14-year-jail-terms.
Gay marriages and shows of same-sex affection is also outlawed in the West African country.
Same-sex relations are explicitly banned in 73 countries, according to the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association (ILGA).
Of the 73 countries, 33 are in Africa, four of which prescribe the death penalty for people who engage in same-sex sexual acts.
Even in the African countries where same-sex sexual relations are not officially illegal, LGBT people often face marginalization, discrimination, violence and death solely because of their sexual orientation.
