Nigeria’s Islamic police, called Hisbah, arrested 11 persons on 12th March for eating food during the Ramzan fast in the northeastern state of Kano.
As per reports, the Hisbah spokesman, Lawal Fagge, said that 10 men were arrested from near the busy markets and a female, groundnut vendor caught eating from her wares was also arrested following a tip from some onlookers.
“We got 11 persons on Tuesday including a lady selling groundnuts who was seen eating from her wares, and some persons alerted us,” Fagge reportedly said.
“The other 10 were men and were arrested across the city especially close to markets where a lot of activities happen,” he added.
The arrested accused were later released after vowing to abstain from food and drink.
The Islamic police ordered the families and relatives of the accused to observe the fast and monitor the accused.
Meanwhile, the Hisbah spokesman said that non-Muslims are exempt from the practice and would face arrest only if they sell food to Muslims during Ramzan.
The spokesperson for the Islamic police said, “We do not arrest non-Muslims because this does not 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.”
According to local media, the director general of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA) Abba Sai’Idu had warned non-Muslim residents against eating in public places during the Ramzan fast.
He had said that it is unlawful for Christians and other non-Muslims to eat openly or do anything publicly that would undermine the Islamic religion or put those fasting into temptation by their actions.
Hisbah’s patrolling has been increased across Kano to arrest any Muslim observed engaging in any practice that is not in accordance with the Islamic culture during the holy month.
Kano is a Muslim-majority city in Nigeria running on the Islamic law of Sharia.