A federal judge in Nigeria "struck out" charges of homosexuality against 47 men arrested after attending a 2018 party, according to Reuters and Al Jazeera.Nigerian law bans same-sex marriage and same-sex “amorous relationships,” punishable by up to 14 years in prison.
The men were facing charges related to public displays of affection, which carries a 10 year prison sentence.The 47 men were arrested back in 2018 during a police raid on a Lagos hotel.
Police said the men were “being initiated into a gay club,” but the men say they were there attending a birthday party. The case has been seen as a test case of the Nigerian law, which would help establish what the burden of proof would be in similar arrests.Prosecutors for the case said that.