Islamic police in Kano State have arrested nine Muslims for allegedly eating in public on the first day of Ramadan, as authorities intensified enforcement of fasting rules across the predominantly Muslim state.
The arrests were carried out on Wednesday by the Hisbah, a religious police force that operates under Sharia law in Kano and several other northern states. Officials said the individuals — seven men and two women — were apprehended during routine patrols targeting cafes, restaurants, and markets to ensure compliance with fasting obligations.
Kano, where Sharia law operates alongside Nigeria’s secular legal system, has a Muslim majority population. However, some businesses remain open in areas largely inhabited by Christians and non-Muslims during the holy month.
Deputy Commander General of the Hisbah, Mujahid Aminudeen, confirmed the arrests, stating that those detained claimed they were unaware that Ramadan had commenced.
“We have arrested them and they are with us. We will teach them the importance of fasting, how to pray, read the Quran and become better Muslims,” Aminudeen said.
He did not specify when the detainees would be released. In previous instances, the Hisbah has reportedly handed suspects over to their families after securing assurances that they would observe the fast for the remainder of the month.
Fasting from dawn to sunset during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which form the foundation of Islamic religious practice. Muslims abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during daylight hours.
Sharia law was introduced more than two decades ago in 12 northern Nigerian states with majority Muslim populations, including Kano.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, is regarded as the holiest period in Islam. Muslims believe it was during this month that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
In Nigeria, this year’s Ramadan began on Wednesday, February 18, and is expected to last 29 or 30 days, ending around March 21 or 22, depending on the sighting of the moon.
