The Kano State Government has banned all movies and cinematic productions promoting thuggery and cross-dressing in the State.
This was announced in a press statement issued by the media officer of the State’s Censorship Board, Abdullah Sani Sulaiman.
This directive was given in response to mounting complaints reportedly from residents regarding issues considered to contradict their cultural values.
“It is high time we put a stop to this sort of films that corrupt the morals of the Kano people,” the board stated.
The board noted that it was “high time to fish out any film that may demoralize our customs, norms and values in the name of reaching popularity, viewers or business making”.
The board also commended the people of the state for their vigilance in reporting any content perceived to be at odds with cultural and Islamic principles.
SaharaReporters earlier reported how the Nigerian Police Force said cross-dressing was not an offence under Nigerian law.
The Nigeria Police Force on Tuesday said it could not arrest popular cross-dresser, Okuneye Idris Olanrewaju, better known as Bobrisky over calls to arrest the socialite.
There have been calls for Bobrisky’s arrest, especially after social media influencer and blogger, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan in recent videos condemned the award of Best Dressed Female to the cross-dresser at a Nollywood event.
However, the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Ademola told Channels TV on Tuesday that cross-dressers could not be arrested because there was no law against cross-dressing in Nigeria.
He also said there is no evidence to support claims that cross-dressers also belong to the LGBTQ+ community.
He said, “There are some cases that are always very difficult to prove.
“I’m not ruling out that we have many of them. Let us be reasonable, you can’t have someone you want to prosecute without having credible evidence against them. I have not read anywhere where cross-dressing is an offence in Nigeria.
“Some of them that are into cross-dressing, the allegation is that they are into something else.
“That’s where the problem lies. We need to have enough proof, credible evidence to prove that they are actually into that. All those offences are natural offences in Nigeria and they are punishable under our laws.”
However, Nigeria has a law prohibiting same-sex relationships or marriage.
The Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Bill was signed into law in Nigeria on January 7, 2014, by then-President Goodluck Jonathan.
The law criminalises public displays of affection between same-sex couples.
The law imposes a 14-year prison sentence on anyone who “[enters] into a same-sex marriage contract or civil union”. It also imposes a 10-year sentence on individuals or groups, including religious leaders, who “witness, abet, and aid the solemnization of a same-sex marriage or union.”
It imposes a 10-year prison sentence on those who “directly or indirectly make [a] public show of [a] same-sex amorous relationship” and anyone who “registers, operates, or participates in gay clubs, societies, and organizations,” including supporters of those groups.