The Hisbah Islamic police in Kano arrested 11 Muslims on Tuesday for breaking the Ramadan fast by eating during the day.
Kano, where most people are Muslim, follows both Sharia law and secular law.
The arrests were part of Hisbah’s yearly Ramadan enforcement efforts, which involve checking eateries and markets.
Hisbah spokesperson Lawal Fagge stated that the arrests included ten men and one woman who were caught eating at her groundnut-selling stall.
He mentioned that the arrests took place throughout the city, especially near markets.
Fagge explained that non-Muslims are not subject to these enforcement actions, but if they are caught selling food to Muslims during fasting hours, they could be considered in violation.
“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,” Fagge told the BBC.
