The Bauchi State Assembly has ordered the State Shari’ah Commission to speed up its probe into claims of a suspected meeting of homosexuals in Bauchi.
News About Nigeria reports that this directive came after a video went viral on social media, featuring an Islamic scholar from Kano, Dr. Abdallah Usman Gadon-Kaya, making allegations about the meeting.
In the video, the cleric claimed that individuals from the LGBTQ+ community had convened in Bauchi for a 10-day event, but he didn’t provide specific details about the date or location.
During the plenary session, a member of the Assembly, Dr. Nasiru Ahmed Ala, proposed that the Shari’ah Commission summon the Islamic scholar to provide evidence and ensure that Shari’ah laws are enforced against those involved.
The Speaker of the Assembly, Abubakar Sulaiman, ruled that the House has the authority to direct investigations and invite individuals to provide explanations on matters of public interest, as stated in the 1999 Constitution.
Meanwhile, a bill to establish the Bauchi State Hisbah Board 2024 has passed a second reading.
In 2018, no fewer than 41 suspected homosexuals were arrested by security operatives in Bauchi State.
The suspects were nabbed during a joint operation by men of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Bauchi State Command.
The Bauchi State Commissioner for Religious Affairs, Alhaji Ado Zigau, said the suspects were arrested based on intelligence reports.
He said, “Intelligence reports revealed that some lesbians and homosexuals planned a gathering at the Federal Secretariat Conference Hall. Security operatives were mobilised to the scene and they arrested quite a number of the suspects. Each security team arrested some suspects and took them to their office for interrogation.”
