The Nigerian government has distanced itself from a purported debate that is allegedly being organised by an organisation: the Creative Africa Initiative.
The Ministry of Education said in a statement by its spokesperson, Folasade Boriowo, that the organisation had issued forged letters using ministry letterheads, proposing a debate on the issue: “Same-sex marriage should be legalised in Nigeria”, which has raised serious concerns.
“The letter in question has a reference number linked to the defunct Department of Basic and Secondary Education, which ceased to exist as of June 17, 2021. In addition, the letterhead used in the forgery shows an outdated reference number and the font appears to have been superimposed on old letterhead paper,” reads part of the statement.
PREMIUM TIMES could not independently identify the group or organisation at the time of filing this report.
However, Ms. Boriowo told our reporter by phone on Saturday afternoon that the letters printed on fake letterheads were circulated and sent to education commissioners in some states.
He said the Ministry of Education has involved security agencies, including the State Security Service (SSS), to track down the individuals behind the attack.
The statement reads in part: “The Federal Ministry of Education categorically denies any involvement with the Creative Africa Initiative or the alleged debate it seeks to promote.
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“We urge all stakeholders to ignore the false communication and await official announcements from the Ministry regarding future debates and other educational initiatives.”
Nigeria's law against gay marriage
Nigeria currently has a 2014 law banning same-sex marriage and anyone convicted under this law faces up to 14 years in jail.
Public displays of intimate affection between people of the same sex are also banned and offenders can be jailed for up to 10 years, according to the law.
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“The proposed topic of debate is highly sensitive and contrary to the cultural and religious values held by the majority of Nigerians as well as the current Nigerian laws. The Ministry stresses that such a debate could disrupt public peace and social norms, thereby leading to unnecessary tensions and divisions,” the statement added.