FG opposes UN over death penalty on same sex marriage

The Federal Government on Friday reinforced
its stand on death penalty and same sex
marriage, saying it will not be deterred by
pressures from the United Nations.
Nigeria had retained the death sentence for
some specific offences and also prohibited
same sex marriage.
Our correspondent gathered on Friday that
the Federal Government’s delegation to the
17th Session of the Universal Periodic Review
of the United Nations Human Rights Council
in Geneva, Switzerland, made a presentation
and defense of Nigeria’s Country Report.
The delegation led by the Attorney-General of
the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr.
Mohammed Adoke (SAN), reportedly resisted
pressure from the US, United Kingdom,
Netherlands, Germany and Australia among
others, by upholding the laws of the country
as they concern death penalty and same-sex
marriage.
Chairman, House of Representatives
Committee on Justice, Dr. Ahmad Ali, in a
statement on Friday, said once laws are
made in accordance with the provisions of
Nigeria’s Constitution, no group of countries,
however powerful, should blackmail it.
“If death penalty is abhorred by these
agenda-setting countries at the UN, they
should convince Nigerians and seek
amendment or abrogation. But so long as the
death penalty, which is reserved as a
deterrent in protecting human life, is part of
our law, no grandstanding can deter Nigeria,”
he said.
According to Ali, same-sex marriage is not a
matter recognised by Nigeria and many
African countries as a human rights issue.
He said, “We have gone past the pre-colonial
era and Nigeria must have a voice in the
comity of nations on new issues that should
or should not emerge as second- or third-
generation human rights.
“No nation can force it down our throat, not
even UN. It is recalled that at the year’s
International Bar Association conference held
in Boston earlier this month, a powerful gay
lobby group was forced to admit that Africa
was still hostile on the issue of same-sex,
and that they would concentrate their energy
on South America,” he said.
Ali reiterated that as long as Nigerians detest
same-sex marriage, the House of
Representatives would continue to criminalise
it.