The Islamic police in Kano State have arrested nine Muslims for eating publicly on the first day of this year’s Ramadan fast.
Kano, a predominantly Muslim state in northern Nigeria, operates an Islamic legal system — Sharia — alongside the country’s secular laws.
The religious enforcement body, known as the Hisbah, routinely patrols eateries, markets and other public places during Ramadan to ensure Muslims observe the fasting period. However, some businesses remain open in parts of the state with large Christian populations.
Under Islamic law, Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink between dawn and sunset during Ramadan. Fasting is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which define the core practices of the faith.
Hisbah’s Deputy Commander General, Mujahid Aminudeen, told the BBC that the nine detainees — seven men and two women — claimed they were unaware that Ramadan had begun.
“We have arrested them and they are with us where we are going to be teaching them the importance of fasting, how to pray, read the Quran and become better Muslims,” he said.
He did not specify when they would be released. In previous instances, Hisbah officials have contacted families of those detained to ensure compliance with fasting requirements after their release.
More than 20 years ago, Sharia law was introduced alongside secular law in 12 northern Nigerian states with Muslim majorities.
Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, holds special significance in Islam. Muslims believe it was during this month that the first verses of the Quran were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
This year in Nigeria, Ramadan began on Wednesday, 18 February, and is expected to last 29 or 30 days, ending around 21 or 22 March.