No fewer than 60 Nigerian clerics have called for tougher legislation against LGBTQ activities, including expanding the existing 14-year jail term to cover cross-dressing and content that promotes homosexuality.
They also declared December 15, 2024, as a ‘National Day of Confession and Repentance’ against what they described as the moral degradation of society caused by LGBTQ practices, reports Vanguard.
The announcement was made during a press conference organised by the National Prayer Altar yesterday, in Abuja.
Pastor Bosun Emmanuel, who spoke on behalf of the religious leaders, cited cultural, religious, and legal grounds for rejecting LGBTQ activities in Nigeria.
The event addressed the perceived spread of homosexuality, which they described as a foreign and immoral influence threatening the nation’s values.
The clerics warned that this counterculture is infiltrating key sectors, including politics, education, religion, and the entertainment industry, desensitising Nigerians to what they described as an abomination.
They stated, “We reject sodomy in Nigeria on three strong grounds: Cultural: As Africans, sodomy is alien to our culture and offensive to our values. Traditional African societies generally recognize romance between a male and a female, not sodomy. Religious: Every major religion in Nigeria considers sodomy as a taboo. Legal: The laws of Nigeria forbid sodomy, with a 14-year jail term for anyone guilty of the crime.
“Even nature teaches us that sodomy is not a natural ‘style’ in life, and therefore not acceptable, even among animals.
“There is an increasing proliferation of sodomy cults in the country. In some circles, participation in the related obnoxious sex rituals has become the mandatory passport to employment, promotion, political support, business connections, sponsorship in the entertainment industry, and very strangely, ‘church growth.’
“We call on governments to strengthen the legislation against sodomy. Anyone who publicly supports the practice should be arrested and prosecuted. This is imperative, as some sodomites sneakily deploy the media to distort narratives and make the crime look like ‘freedom of choice.’
“There should be greater advocacy in the media, targeted at our impressionable youths, especially in schools. Most of the promoters of this defilement come across as ‘successful celebrities,’ so it is our responsibility to protect our children.
“We call on Nigeria Christians, locally and internationally, to mark Sunday 15th December 2024 as a day of ‘National Confession and Repentance from Sodomy.’ We urge Christians to fast and pray on that day, for God’s forgiveness and deliverance from sodomy and all manner of sexual perversions in the land.
“Finally, we appeal to parents to apply the critical education for children that we call ‘home training.’ While schools impart knowledge and skills, parents must be diligent to instil core values. Children brought up in the fear of God are well-disposed to resist moral defilement.”
