The Federal Ministry of Information Friday halted attempts to attack Nigeria’s National Portal by a group of gay rights activists.
The ministry said it is taking additional measures to stem future attacks by hackers, whose criminal activities have been on the increase globally in recent times.
The attackers, according to the Minister of Information, Mr. Labaran Maku, were traced to the same group that recently attacked several countries’ websites across the world, claiming to be fighting for gay rights.
“The attacks are a criminal attempt to blackmail countries which have resisted pressures by homosexuals to legalise gay marriages as practised in some countries.
“While we recognise that Nigeria is a full fledged democracy, with robust guarantee of freedom of opinion by all citizens, it is criminal for anyone within or outside our country to use criminal means to express or canvass such opinions.
“The Federal Ministry of Information will liaise with security agencies to investigate last night’s attack. Nigeria is a highly cultured and religious society whose people remain overwhelmingly opposed to the imposition of gay rights and gay marriages as practised in some countries.
“Those seeking to impose gay rights from abroad are advised to stick to legal and constitutional means of expressing their opinions as government will not condone criminal violations of our laws by any group in the guise of promoting gay rights in the country,” the minister declared, adding that security checks had been stepped up on the National Portal to plug all the loopholes exploited to launch last night’s attack.