Crime or Human Right?: The Criminalization of Same-Sex Relationship Conundrum in Nigeria

To the Nigerian state, consensual sexual activity among persons of the same sex is against the order of nature and must be punished as a crime. On the other hand, to persons who engage in sexual activity with persons of the same gender and to rights' activists, the act is a right, like any other, which should be respected and protected. This chapter examines the cultural issues, the human rights angle, and the future of the criminalization of same-sex sexual conduct conundrum in Nigeria. Using the doctrinal method of legal research methodology, the chapter reviews laws criminalizing homosexuality in Nigeria in juxtaposition with human rights provisions both in the international and domestic context in search of a solution to the problem. Accordingly, it is recommended that while the law should protect cultural values, human rights are sacrosanct and must not be sacrificed.