Hisbah had arrested Haruna for “uploading sexual contents on her social media handles”.
The Kano State Hisbah Board, also known as Islamic police has summoned a Kannywood actress, Ummah Shehu, over some allegations she levelled against the Islamic police on social media.
The commandant of the board, Haruna Sani Ibn Sina, said the actress was summoned to prove her claim that the organisation is turning a blind eye to offences committed by its officials while frowning on commoners.
Shehu had made the allegation on social media against the Islamic police following the arrest and subsequent arraignment of Sadiya Haruna, her colleague in the industry.
Hisbah had arrested Haruna for “uploading sexual contents on her social media handles”.
But in an interview with the BBC, Ibn Sina said Shehu must shed light on the allegations she made against Hisbah.
He said if she fails to submit herself and clarify the grey areas, the board will sue her for slandering.
He said, “We’ve not declared her a wanted person; what we’re saying is that she’ll submit herself to us and clarify the allegations she made against us for the general public to know.
“If what she’s said is factual and accurate, it demands further investigation. But if she fails to convince us, we will sue her for libel.”
Hisbah had recently come under intense pressure to act on some pictures of the daughter of the Emir of Bichi who got married to President Muhammadu Buhari’s only son at the weekend.
A video of the wedding party shows Nigerian singer, Mayorkun singing and some of the party attendees spotting Afro, Mohawk or any of the hairstyles Kano State Hisbah has labelled as “unIslamic” and an insult to Islam.
Also, secular songs Hisbah has vehemently frowned upon were played at the party, with young northern men and women dancing to them.
All these have attracted punishments from Kano Hisbah, in cases where poor Nigerians were involved.
Noting the hypocrisy exhibited by the Islamic police, which were nowhere to be found during the wedding, human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore had said, “Yusuf Buhari’s wedding and the Kano Hisbah that shaves the head of poor people but was nowhere to be found around the highly secular Muhammadu Buhari son’s wedding: One country, two laws -One is applicable to the poor and the other is applicable to rich and highly connected. Who says poverty is not a CRIME? #RevolutionNow #BuhariMustGo.”
Ironically, Hisbah has been notorious for shaving the heads of poor northerners with Afro, Mohawk and other hairstyles termed as “unIslamic” by the bias Islamic police.
Similarly, in February, a barber from Benue State, Elijah Ode, was arrested by Kano Hisbah in the Sabongari area of the state for giving his customers haircuts said to have offended the Islamic faith.
Two of Ode’s customers were also tortured for having such “offensive” haircuts.
The religious police force reportedly arraigned Ode and had him remanded.
Recently, after it was knocked by the public for being silent on the photographs of the bridal shower of Buhari’s daughter-in-law, Hisbah responded by prohibiting the sharing of the bridal shower photographs.
SaharaReporters had reported that some Nigerians highlighted Zahra's gown, part of which is made from a transparent material, while others pointed out that she did not have her hair covered as is usually done by Muslim women.
The Islamic police described sharing of the photos online by Muslims as a sin.
Meanwhile, the Islamic police have since banned stylish haircuts, sagging of trousers and playing of music at social events by disk jockeys.
Hisbah also banned commercial motorcycles and tricycle riders from carrying two women at a time.
Of recent, the Kano State Hisbah Board banned the use of mannequins to display clothes by tailors, supermarkets and boutique owners in the state.
Sani Ibn Sina, had said the use of mannequins by tailors, boutique owners and others contravenes the provision of Islamic injunctions.
He added that the agency would educate offenders on how Islam frowns on the use of mannequins and send its officials to apprehend and prosecute them.