An epidemic of anti-LGBTQ+ violence is sweeping Nigeria, promoted on social media by conservative influencers and abetted by draconian laws in the central African nation that criminalize all same-sex behavior.A rash of vigilante attacks has resulted in the deaths of two high school students and the grave injury of several others in recent months, incidents caught on camera, recorded by bystanders and the perpetrators, and uploaded to social media. Related Popular trans TikToker killed in Nigeria Recordings of the attacks are earning applause and encouragement from many social media commenters.In July, a group of high school students allegedly murdered two of their classmates after accusing them of engaging in gay sex. Four students were attacked in the incident, leaving two dead at the scene. Never Miss a Beat Subscribe to our newsletter to stay ahead of the latest LGBTQ+ political news and insights. Subscribe to our Newsletter today The incident occurred in Kano state, one of 14 majority-Muslim states in northern Nigeria subject to Sharia law. The mob is accused of beating the victims with metal objects known in the region as Gwale-Gwale, as a form of punishment for their alleged same-sex behavior.Eleven students have been arrested in connection with the murders.Last week, graphic video went viral showing two Nigerian university students who were brutally beaten by a mob after being accused of being gay, according to News.com.au.Video of the attack at Delta State University in southern Nigeria shows the two young men being hunted down, cornered, and violently assaulted by a crowd of fellow students. Two gay boys were caught and beaten, inside DELSU (Delta State University, Abraka , Campus 3 sport complex .Was it appropriate beating them ? |Benue | BBNaijaReunion | Tor Tiv| NO SIGN OF WEAKNESS |Pluto pic.twitter.com/W8gZTkbeHR DelsuEye (@DelsuEye) June 19, 2025In one of several videos circulating on TikTok, the vigilante mob is seen smashing their way into a small security building where the two victims had locked themselves inside.The two young men are dragged out, thrown to the ground, and savagely whipped with belts and sticks by their attackers, as dozens of onlookers gathered around the scene jeer in support and record the attack.Visibly covered in blood and bruises, the victims plead for mercy as the crowd looks on.One gay student who witnessed the attack said it was traumatizing.Ive always read stories of gay men like me being attacked and lynched to death, but I never thought Id witness one, the 20-year-old said.Those boys could easily have been me or one of my friends.Multiple videos from all over Nigeria reveal the same kind of vigilante violence: young men accused of being gay who are assaulted, stripped, and humiliated in public.A viral video posted last year on X showed two bloodied gay men in their underwear being beaten with sticks by a mob and paraded through Port Harcourt in southern Nigeria. In another, four young men were paraded down a street and run out of the Edo State capital Benin City in November wearing only their boxer shorts. The angry mob threatened to kill them if they ever returned.Homosexuality is criminalized under Nigerian federal law, with same-sex relationships carrying prison sentences of up to 14 years. The 2014 Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act bans same-sex marriage and criminalizes all forms of consensual same-sex relationships and public displays of affection.In northern states governed by Sharia law, homosexuality is punishable by death.This isnt just about the law anymore, Philip, a queer rights activist based in Lagos, told News.com.au.Its about everyday people deciding they have the right to punish, beat, and humiliate queer people as a form of moral policing, then broadcast it for clout. And the internet is amplifying it. One source of that encouragement is well-known Nigerian TikToker S.K Records, who launched an online campaign earlier this summer called SOS, or Save Our Society.Taking a cue from other anti-LGBTQ+ activists in Africa, including elected officials, the influencer frames homosexuality as a Western threat to African values and encourages mob violence by an army of young Nigerian followers. The influencers so-calledmovementhas amassed thousands of followers in a matter of weeks. This kind of rhetoric gives mobs permission, said Philip, the Lagos-based activist. It tells them they are doing something noble.There is no safe place, he added. Not in the streets, not online, not even on a university campus.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.