Five men have been arrested on suspicion of being gay in Nigeria, where Sharia law could see them caned 100 times or even stoned to death.
A "special raid" was carried out in the state of Kano on Sunday after locals reported the men, who all said to be aged over 20.
They were arrested and are set to be charged with homosexuality, according to the News Agency of Nigeria.
Homosexuality is illegal in all of Nigeria, and punishable with up to 14 years in prison.
But 12 of the country's states, including Kano where the men were arrested, have adopted various parts of Sharia Law.
Under this Sharia law sodomy - defined as carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man or woman - is illegal.
If the person is unmarried, they can be punished “with caning of one hundred lashes… and shall also be liable to imprisonment for the term of one year”.
If they are married, the law states they can be stoned to death.
The Commander General of the Board, Dr Harun Ibn-Sina, said in a statement that the “suspects” were all over 20 years of age, were arrested on Sunday, July 11 and would be charged in court.
According to Pink News, last year, Sharia police in the area arrested 15 recent graduates from the Bayero University Kano for being gay.
It said that their punishment would “re-orient” them.
At the time, deputy commander-general Shehu Tasi’u Is’haq confirmed the arrests to Punch Nigeria, and said: “We arrested and transferred the errant students to our correctional centre at our headquarters in Sharada.
“While at our correctional centre, they will be re-oriented and at the close of the day, they will desist from their waywardness and turn a new leaf.
“Islam is opposed to same-sex partners, which is a taboo.
"As an institution, our responsibility is to correct youth, who are going astray, reminding them that devout Muslims forbid homosexual acts, which will not be tolerated.”
Kano is one of only two states in Nigeria where lesbianism is also punishable with death by stoning.
