Police arrest 67 at same-sex wedding in Delta

Delta State Police authorities arrested 67 individuals, including one Akinyemi Hazzan Olanrewaju, following a same-sex wedding ceremony held on August 29, 2023, in Ekpan.

The mass arrest represents one of the largest actions taken against Nigeria’s LGBTQ community in recent years.

The operation was initiated after a routine patrol stopped and questioned an invited guest on August 28. Details regarding the reason for the initial stop, including the guest's attire, remain unclear. 

The subsequent police raid on the wedding venue resulted in the detention of the two grooms and dozens of guests.

Authorities paraded the detainees before the media and confirmed that the accused would face prosecution under Nigeria’s stringent 2014 anti-homosexuality law.

Delta State Police Spokesman, Bright Edafe, confirmed the arrests and the intention to prosecute: “We already have the remand warrant from the court to still have them in custody because we still have more evidence to bring up together.”

Police reported that the items recovered during the raid included hard drugs and ceremonial dresses associated with the wedding. If convicted, the principal defendants face up to 14 years’ imprisonment, while others accused in the case may face up to 10 years.

Although some of those arrested were later released, police noted that several individuals, including Mr. Olanrewaju, failed to report back as required, prompting an intensified search to locate them.

The mass arrests immediately drew sharp criticism from international and local rights organizations.

Amnesty International, in a statement on X (formerly Twitter), branded the police action as a “witch-hunt,” urging authorities to end the practice immediately. 

The organization stated that the arrests discriminate against individuals based on perceived sexual orientation and gender identity, warning that Nigerian laws are increasingly being used to harass and extort LGBTQ people.

Kayode Somtochukwu Ani, founder of the Queer Union for Economic and Social Transformation, expressed grave concern: “Basic rights of privacy and freedom of association have been rolled back, and it's worrying because you don't see public pushback against this. These abuses target minorities, and the state knows it can drum up moral panic without consequence.”

Police spokesman Edafe publicly rejected the criticism, defending the legal action: “If Amnesty International knows what they're doing, they'll know that there is a law in this country that prohibits gay marriages. This is Nigeria, and whomever must live in this country must live by the laws of the land.”

Homosexuality remains widely viewed as a Western import in many African nations. The legal environment in the region has been further complicated by developments such as Uganda’s May 2025 anti-homosexuality law, which imposes the death penalty in certain cases, and under which two men were recently charged for "aggravated homosexuality."