Kano Hisbah Bans Non-Muslims From Eating In Public During Ramadan Fast, Arrest 11 Persons

Kano Hisbah Bans Non-Muslims From Eating In Public During Ramadan Fast, Arrest 11 Persons

The Kano State Hisbah Board’s Department of Public Enlightenment recently apprehended 11 Muslims for violating the fast during daylight hours, a period when fasting is obligatory for all adult Muslims……READ ALSO Muslims Arrested for Eating Kano Hisbah Faces Public Backlash

The arrests, conducted on Tuesday, were confirmed by Hisbah spokesman Lawal Fagge in an interview with the BBC. The individuals apprehended included 10 men and one woman, found eating in various parts of the city, particularly in bustling market areas.

Operating as a religious police force in Kano State, Nigeria, the Hisbah Board enforces Sharia law among Muslims. The detainees, including a woman who was both selling and consuming groundnuts from her own stock, were reportedly released after pledging to refrain from eating during fasting hours for the remainder of Ramadan.

To ensure compliance, they were required to take an oath to this effect, with some needing their relatives or guardians to guarantee their future adherence.

This enforcement action comes following the declaration by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, marking the commencement of the 1445AH Ramadan on Monday, March 11, 2024.

During Ramadan, Muslims observe fasting from dawn until sunset, abstaining from eating, drinking, smoking, and engaging in sexual relations, among other restrictions, as prescribed in the Holy Quran, to purify the soul and practice self-discipline.

Fagge stressed that the Hisbah Board’s operations are specifically targeted at Muslims, with non-Muslims exempt from these regulations. However, he cautioned against non-Muslims selling food to fasting individuals, warning that such actions would be considered offensive.