Kebbi State College of Science and Technology expels four students just for being lesbians

KEBBI State College of Science and Technology in Jega has expelled four female students for engaging in lesbianism as part of a crackdown on homosexuality after they were caught having sexual intercourse.

Nigeria is a country that shows very little tolerance for homosexuality despite having a large population of lesbians and gays. Among other things, Nigeria has very Draconian anti-gay laws and anyone found guilty of committing a homosexual act can face up to 14 years in prison under the country's Same Sex Marriage Act of 2014.

Across Nigeria, hundreds of lesbians and gays have been arrested since the passing of the Same Sex Marriage Act in 2014. In states across northern Nigeria, any Muslim convicted of the offence could be stoned to death under the harsh Sharia laws being practised in that part of the country.

According to Alhaji Aminu Dakingari, the provost of the Kebbi State College of Science and Technology, the female students  were caught red-handed by the school's security personnel and cleaners. He added that  two of the students are from Kotangora in Niger State while two others are from Kebbi and Sokoto respectively.

Alhaji Dakingari said the four students owned up to indulging in lesbianism and were  eventually expelled from the institution. There is no evidence that they broke any school rules or regulations, however.

“The students confessed to the committee that they committed the crime and we just had to expel them from the school. They resorted to threatening my life through text messages but the security agents were able to rescue me from them,” Alhaji Dakingari added.