Nigerian lesbian flees after marrying four women

LAGOS, Apr 26 (Reuters) A Nigerian lesbian has gone into hiding to avoid arrest days after marrying four women in the Islamic city of Kano, local media reported today.

An estimated 2,000 guests watched Aunty Maiduguri, 45, wed the four women in a sumptuous ceremony that was followed by two days of feasting and merry-making.

But neighbours tipped off the authorities, who enforce Sharia law.

''As defenders of Sharia law, we shall not allow this unhealthy development to take place,'' Rabo Abdulkarim, deputy commander of the state Islamic police, told ThisDay newspaper.

''We are investigating the matter with a view to find the culprits and punish them.'' Kano is one of 12 states in northern Nigeria that introduced Sharia in 2000.

Homosexuality is also illegal under secular law in Nigeria. The government introduced a bill last year explicitly to outlaw gay marriage in response to its legalisation in some Western countries.

Africa's most populous country is split about evenly between Muslims and Christians, and both communities strongly condemn homosexuality.

REUTERS JS KN1938