President Muhammadu Buhari ID: LFG-2017-0005

President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria

Office of the President

Nigerian Presidential Complex, Aso Rock

Abuja, Federal Capital Territory Honorable Abubakar Malami

Federal Republic of Nigeria Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice

info@statehouse.gov.ng Federal Ministry of Justice Headquarters

Sent via: Electronic mail Plot 71B Shehu Shagari Way

Maitama Abuja

Federal Republic of Nigeria

Commissioner Fatai Owoseni info@justice.gov.ng

c/o Lagos State Government Sec. Sent via: Electronic mail

Ikeja

Lagos State

Republic of Nigeria

lsstf@lagosstate.gov.ng

Sent via: Electronic mail

August 9th, 2017

Re: Massive arrest of the people in anti-gay crackdown in the Lagos State of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria

President Muhammadu Buhari, Attorney General Abubakar Malami and Commissioner Fatai Owoseni,

I am sending you this letter out of serious concern as to the recent arrests as to a massive
number of individuals inside of the Federal Republic of Nigeria who were arrested as for homosexual
acts.1 This massive arrest by government officials in the Lagos State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is
extremely concerning, stupid and I believe that the massive arrests of individuals inside of the Federal
Republic of Nigeria does violate the domestic and the international rights of the people that are in the
Federal Republic of Nigeria. I believe this because under Section 40 of the Nigerian Constitution, the law

1
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40774930

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guarantees that "every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons, and
in particular he may form or belong to any political party, trade union, or any other association for the
protection of his interests. Section 17 of the Nigerian Constitution states that every citizen shall have
equality of rights, obligations, and opportunities before the law. I hope that you are also aware that
under International Law in which the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a signatory to and is thus bound as to
abiding by, that the people are guaranteed the rights as to information and to freedom of expression2,
freedom of assembly3, and freedom of association4. All people are entitled to equality before the law5
and all people also have a right to be free from discrimination.6 The government of the Federal Republic
of Nigeria should be upholding the liberty of the people because citizens of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria also have an international right to liberty.7

It is extremely sad to see that some countries in the African Continent still have their colonial
era laws in which deny the liberty as to the people as from a historical standpoint. Contrary to some
ideologies regarding homosexuality, homosexuality is in no way un-African or un-human. Same-sex
relationships were greatly tolerated and even accepted prior to the colonial era. When the British
colonial period took place, the British Empire took over countries and they established laws against
homosexuality, which was not officially decriminalized in England and Wales until around the late 1960s.
Researchers have consistently proven that homophobia in the African Continent was established thanks
to colonialism. The colonialism era was a time in history that the implementing of anti-gay legislation
started to take place throughout the African Continent. Before the colonialism era, many traditional
cultures in the African Continent were extremely accepting towards individuals of different sexualities
and gender expression.

The colonial invasion of the African Continent changed the inclusiveness of the then African
values and the invaders were successful as to rewriting history through spreading their intolerance and
their unnatural ideology around. African tribal chiefs and village courts back then were basically
abolished by the Europeans and they were substituted with the European Penal Code System.8 Those
new set of laws outlawed gender identity expression, homosexuality and any other things that were
viewed as not being European or in compliance with heterosexuality, also called heteronormativity.9

Regardless as to the true history as to how the colonial era was the primary cause as to anti-gay
sentiment around the African Continent, I would respectfully request that the government of the
Federal Republic of Nigeria uphold the liberty as to all individuals. I would also respectfully request that

2
See Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
3
See Article 21 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
4
See Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
5
See Article 2 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 1 of the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights.
6
See Article 26 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
7
See Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
8
The European Penal Code System was a set of laws that was based on the way in which European society was
based.
9
Heteronormativity is defined as the ideology that the only true and legit way of life in our world is by being
heterosexual.

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the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria drop all charges that have been brought against all
victims in the anti-gay crackdown and to release all detained individuals that were persecuted as for
being themselves. This type of cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment by government
officials has got to stop10 and the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria needs to start
respecting the domestic and the international rights of the people in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

If the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria refuses to start respecting the domestic
and the international rights of people in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, I will then request the federal
government of the United States to end federal financial assistance that is being sent to the Federal
Republic of Nigeria. That is because I believe that receiving federal financial assistance from the United
States is a privilege and is not an unalienable right. I believe as from a foreign policy standpoint that
whenever a foreign government11 violates the rights as to their people so openly, it makes me wonder
why the government of the United States is sending that country federal financial assistance.12 I believe
that the money that the federal government of the United States is sending to countries that are
involved in such a gross reckless disregard as to the rights of their people should instead be spent here
domestically as to helping stop and prevent poverty, helping veterans, making young adults successful
individuals and helping individuals that may be associated as with being in vulnerable communities. Our
federal money should not be used to support governments that act as if they have turned barbaric
against their own people.

I think that it may be best to request and investigation by the White House, the United States
Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and by the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs as
to why the United States sends federal financial assistance to foreign countries that are not upholding
the domestic or the international rights as to their people. I am thinking that needs to change because
here that type of federal financial assistance that would have been sent to foreign countries that are
involved in a gross reckless disregard as to the rights of their people can be used here once again as to
helping stop and prevent poverty, helping veterans, making young adults successful individuals and
helping individuals that may be associated as being in vulnerable communities.

Respectfully,

Isaiah X. Smith Isaiah Smith Campaign

P.O Box 163411

Fort Worth, Texas, 76161

www.isaiahxsmith.com

10
Article 5 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights asserts that all individuals have a right to be treated fairly
and to be free from torture or to cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment.
11
A country that does not include the United States of America.
12
The federal government of the United States of America through the United States Department of State and the
United States Agency for International Development have projected to send over Six Hundred Million Dollars to
the Federal Republic of Nigeria for peace and security, Democracy, Human Rights and Governance, Health,
Education and Social Services and well as for economic development as for the year of 2017.

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