Hisbah Arrests 25 Over Alleged Gay Wedding In Kano
THECONSCIENCE NG reports that the Hisbah, the Islamic religious police in northern Nigeria, have arrested 25 young people accused of organising a same-sex wedding ceremony in Kano State.
According to the authorities, Hisbah operatives stormed an event centre in Kano the largest city in northern Nigeria following a tip-off from residents that a gay wedding was about to take place.
Confirming the incident on Sunday, the Deputy Commander-General of Hisbah, Mujaheed Abubakar, said 18 men and seven women, all in their early 20s, were arrested, including the two men allegedly planning to get married.
“We received credible intelligence that one man was preparing to tie the knot with another young man at the venue. Our officers moved swiftly and arrested all individuals involved in the illegal gathering,” Abubakar said.
He added that investigations had commenced and that those found culpable would be prosecuted under the applicable Sharia laws in the state.
Sharia law, which operates alongside Nigeria’s secular legal system, is enforced in 12 northern states, including Kano. Under the local interpretation of the law, homosexuality is punishable by death though such a sentence has never been carried out.
At the federal level, Nigeria’s Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act of 2014 criminalises same-sex unions and related activities, prescribing up to 14 years in prison for offenders.
The Hisbah has carried out several similar arrests in the past , including in 2007, 2015, 2018, and 2022 , although none of those cases has resulted in a conviction.
Meanwhile, the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) has formally severed ties with the Church of England following the appointment of Bishop Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury.
In a statement issued by the Primate, Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, the Nigerian Church described the appointment, announced on Friday, October 3, 2025 as “devastating” and “insensitive,” citing her support for same-sex marriage and her position as the first woman to hold the role.
“This election is a double jeopardy. It disregards the conviction of most Anglicans who reject female headship in the episcopate, and more troubling, Bishop Mullally is a known supporter of same-sex marriage,” the statement read.
The Church also recalled Bishop Mullally’s comments after the Church of England’s 2023 decision to bless same-sex couples , a move she had described as “a moment of hope.”
“It remains to be seen how she hopes to mend the already torn fabric of the Anglican Communion caused by the contentious issue of same-sex marriage,” the Nigerian Church added.
Students Protest Against Proposed EU-ACP LGBT Treaty
In a related development, students in Jos, Plateau State, staged a protest on November 15, 2023, rejecting a proposed European Union–Africa, Caribbean and Pacific (EU-ACP) treaty, which they alleged sought to legalise same-sex marriage and other LGBT practices in Nigeria.
The protesters described the proposal as “an abomination” that contravenes the moral teachings of Nigeria’s two major religions.
One of the speakers, educationist Dr. Ekaette Ettang, cautioned the Federal Government and other African leaders against endorsing the treaty.
“If the government signs this agreement, Nigerians could be compelled to accept or practise lesbianism, gay marriage, and other perverse acts,” she warned.
