Nigeria does not recognize same-sex marriages or civil unions for same-sex couples. Homosexuality among men is punishable with up to 14 years' imprisonment in Southern Nigeria and may result in capital punishment for men in areas under Sharia Islamic law in the northern part of the country. Individuals who "perform, witness, aid or abets" a same-sex marriage may face severe penalties. Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013 On January 18, 2007, the Federal Executive Council proposed a bill prohibiting same-sex marriages and urged the National Assembly to pass it urgently. According to the Minister of Justice, Bayo Ojo, the bill was pushed by President Olusegun Obasanjo following the International Conference on AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in Africa (ICASA) in Abuja in 2005. The bill would call for five years' imprisonment for anyone who undergoes, "performs, witnesses, aids, or abets" a same-sex marriage. It would also prohibit any display of a "same-sex amorous relationship" and adoption of children by gays or lesbians. The bill received little to no opposition in Parliament. It would also prescribe five years' imprisonment for involvement in public advocacy or associations supporting the rights of lesbian and gay people, including a ban on any form of relationship with a gay person. In February 2006, the United States Department of State condemned the bill. In March 2006, 16 international human rights groups signed a letter condemning the law, calling it a violation of freedoms of expression, association and assembly guaranteed by international law as well as by the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights and a barrier to the struggle against the spread of HIV/AIDS. An estimated 3 million people live with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria. The bill was not passed before the 2007 elections. A similar draft bill was proposed in 2013. It states: "A person who registers, operates or participates in gay clubs, societies or organizations, or directly or indirectly makes public show of same-sex amorous relationship in Nigeria commits an offense and is liable on conviction to a term of 10 years." It passed Parliament with little opposition, and was signed into law by President Goodluck Jonathan on January 7, 2014 as the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2013 (SSMPA). The law voids marriage contracts between people of the same sex and bans persons from aiding and abetting same-sex marriages. Proponents of the legislation cited their Christian faith and culture to support the law.