Islamic police in Kano, known as Hisbah, have detained 11 Muslims for violating the Ramadan fast by consuming food during daylight hours.
Kano, which boasts a predominantly Muslim population, adheres to Sharia law alongside secular legislation.
The arrests transpired during Hisbah’s routine Ramadan enforcement operations, encompassing inspections of eateries and markets.
Lawal Fagge, spokesperson for Hisbah, disclosed that the detained individuals included ten men and one woman.
He emphasized that non-Muslims are exempt from such enforcement activities. However, should non-Muslims be found selling food to Muslims during fasting hours, they could be subject to prosecution.
Fagge told the BBC, “We got 11 persons on Tuesday, including a lady selling groundnuts who was seen eating from her wares, and some persons alerted us.
“The other 10 were men and were arrested across the city especially close to markets where a lot of activities happen.
“We don’t arrest non-Muslims because this doesn’t concern them, and the only time they could be guilty of a crime is when we find out they cook food to sell to Muslims that are supposed to be fasting,” he added.
