Court stops bid to register same-sex NGO

A Federal High Court in Abuja has dismissed a suit seeking the registration of a nongovernmental organization for homosexuals, the Lesbian Equality and Empowerment Initiatives, by the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC).

Justice Nnamdi Dimgba on Friday upheld the decision of the CAC not to register the group saying it was in compliance with Section 30 (1) (c) of the Companies and Allied Matters Act (CAMA) Cap C20 Laws of Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The judge said though the applicant has the right to belong to any association under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, there are limitations of such rights under Section 45, adding that this includes situations where such rights conflicts with public safety, public order, and public morality.

“So far as the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act is still much operative in Nigeria and has not been repealed, the case of the applicant must fail,” he said.

The applicant, Pamela Adie, had sometime in October 2017 founded “Lesbian Equality and Empowerment Initiatives” to advocate for the rights of people with same-sex orientation and as well as empowerment centre.

Counsel to the organization, Mike Enahoro-Eba said he will appeal against the decision of the high court at the Court of Appeal in Abuja.