Di issue of di legality of cross-dressing and transgender don raise concerns again for Nigeria.
Dis na as some concerned pesins dey worry say if authorities no address di mata, e go get out of hand.
Dem also call for di arrest of crossdressers as dem claim say dem dey increase moral decadence for di society.
However, di Nigeria Police Force don tok say crossdressing no be crime for Nigeria.
Police tok-tok pesin Olumuyiwa Adejobi tok say crossdressing no be offence wey warrant di arrest of those wey dey do am.
Oga Adejobi wey tok dis one during one television interview on Tuesday, say di issue of cross dressing na veri tricky situation.
E say im no dey rule out say crossdressers plenti for di kontri now, but you no fit arrest dem witout credible evidence say dem break any law.
“Make we dey reasonable, you no fit arrest somebodi you wan carry go court witout credible evidence against dat kain pesin, cross dressing neva be crime for Nigeria.
“Some of dem dey into crossdressing, di accuse na say dem dey into somtin else. Dat na di problem.
“We gatz get enough proof, credible evidence to prove say dem actually dey into dat. All dose offences na natural offences for Nigeria and dem dey punishable under our laws.”
E add say for police to arrest and prosecute dose wey dey guilty of crime of natural offences, evidence gatz dey to prove am.
Di mata begin gada interest again afta one popular Nigerian crossdresser, Idris Okuneye wey pipo sabi as Bobrisky receive award for Best-Dressed Female for one movie premiere for di kontri.
However, di law wey dey Nigeria na di law against same-sex relationship.
For 2014, then-President Goodluck Jonathan bin sign di Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013 (SSMPA) into law.
Di law forbid same-sex partners to live together and e ban di “public show of same-sex amorous relationship”.
Di law criminalise acts of ‘carnal knowledge against di order of nature’, ‘gross indecency’, same-sex unions, and LGBT advocacy.
These provisions carry maximum penalty of fourteen years’ imprisonment.
Lawmakers don begin reason bill against crossdressing for Nigeria
For 2022, di House of Representatives bin introduce one bill wey go ban crossdressing.
Di bill wey dey aim to amend di Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act (SSMPA) bin define crossdressing as di “practice of wearing clothes wey pesin of opposite sex usually dey wear”.
Na National Assembly member Muda Lawal Ulnar dey behind di proposed amendment. E no explain im motivation, wey fit only come out wen di bill enta second reading.
E propose say anyone found guilty fit end up wit a six-month prison sentence or pay fine of N500,000 ($1,200, £980).
But one comment on top one legal affairs website from one supporter of di amendment explain di logic.
Lawyer Manfred Ekpe say di National Assembly suppose dey allowed to set standards for a “morally upright society”.
E cite verses from di Bible and di Quran, Oga Ekpe argue say crossdressing dey against di moral standards of young pipo and children.
“Notin dey wrong in making law to ban behaviour wey fit likely lead to di promotion of offensive conduct or commission of an offence like homosexuality,” e write.
Pipo dey fear say man wey dey wear woman clothes or vice-versa go somehow encourage pipo to get same-sex relationship.
Nigeria generally na conservative society and pipo wey step outside di norms fit dey targeted.
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