42 gay men arrested in Nigeria. Help them now !

I was forced to leave my home in Nigeria 10 years ago. After publicly outing myself, I was haunted by so many death threats, it was no longer safe to stay.

Today, my heart is breaking as I watch from the UK what is happening in Nigeria. 42 of my gay brothers have been arrested. They’re facing up to 14 years in prison under Nigeria’s extreme anti-gay laws.

Their ’crime’ ? They were organising an HIV awareness event in a public hotel space.

Unjustified arrests and attacks like this against the LGBT community in my country have been going on for years.

We must let Nigerian authorities know that the world is watching.

Join me in demanding that all charges against these 42 men are dropped.

URGENT : 42 gay men arrested in Nigeria. Help them now !

With 3.5 million people in Nigeria living with HIV, my country has the second largest epidemic in the world. Community events like the one organised by these men are essential. They save lives in a country that denies access to life-saving drugs for gay HIV-positive men.

This event was doing what the Government has failed to do : providing gay men with education and testing services so that the further spread of HIV can be slowed and lives saved.

The fate of the arrested men is unclear. They’re being held in appalling conditions, without access to food, as they await trial.

We need to act urgently to secure their release and demand that all charges against them be dropped.

Join me in a global outcry to ensure that these 42 lives are not destroyed by state-sponsored homophobia. The charges must be dropped !

Bisi Alimi

Board Member of All Out and Executive Director of the Bisi Alimi Foundation