Nigerian Gay Rights Activist & His Husband Announce Divorce After 3 Years (Photos)

US-based Nigerian gay rights activist Edafe Okporo and his husband Nick Giglio have announced the end of their three-year marriage.

The Warri-born immigration rights advocate shared the news on his Instagram page on Friday, March 27. Okporo, who fled Nigeria in 2016 after facing attacks over his sexuality, is the executive director of Refuge America, a nonprofit that resettles LGBTQ+ asylum seekers in the United States.

In a joint statement signed by both men, the couple said they made the mutual decision to file for a no-fault divorce. “This has been a hard decision, and we are taking the time and space we need to move through it with honesty and respect,” the statement read.

They asked the public for grace as they navigate the next chapter and welcomed continued support for both of them, either together or separately. “Thank you for your love and support,” it concluded.

The pair tied the knot in July 2022. Okporo first gained prominence in Nigeria and abroad as a vocal campaigner for LGBTQ+ rights and immigrant welfare, authoring the memoir ASYLUM in 2022.

The announcement has drawn mixed reactions online, reflecting ongoing conversations in Nigeria about same-sex relationships, which remain illegal under the 2014 Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act. Okporo has not issued further comments beyond the joint statement.

In other news: WNBA Star, Arike Ogunbowale & Her Wife On Their Wedding Day

Dallas Wings superstar guard Arike Ogunbowale has tied the knot with her longtime partner, social media influencer Lala Ronay, in a same-sex union.

The Nigerian-American WNBA star made the announcement on her Instagram page over the weekend, sharing loved-up photos from their private ceremony. Ogunbowale simply wrote: “Here’s to a lifetime of us ️ 02.24.26.”