Nigeria's Senate votes to ban gay marriage

Nigeria's Senate has voted to outlaw gay marriage, gay advocacy groups and same-sex public displays of affection.

The bill, now much more wide-ranging than its initial draft, must be passed by the House of Representatives and signed by President Goodluck Jonathan before becoming law.

Under the proposed law, gay couples who marry could face up to 14 years each in prison, while those who assist them could be sentenced to 10 years.

"Such elements in society should be killed," said Senator Baba-Ahmed Yusuf Datti of the opposition party Congress for Progressive Change. Gays face open abuse in a country divided by Christians and Muslims who almost uniformly oppose homosexuality.