Sani-Ibn added that the agency destroyed 25 trucks of beer and apprehended 2,260 suspected criminals in its operations
The Islamic Religious Police in Kano State, known as the Hisbah Board has repatriated 386 of the 1,269 beggars evacuated from the streets from January to December 2022 to their respective states of origin.
Dr Harun Sani-Ibn, the Commander General of the Board, stated this when he briefed newsmen at the board’s headquarters on Thursday in Kano.
Sani-Ibn added that the agency destroyed 25 trucks of beer and apprehended 2,260 suspected criminals in its operations
He said the trucks contained thousands of bottles of assorted beer, adding that more bottles would be wiped out before January.
The CG explained that, in the area of curtailing societal vices, the board had succeeded in dispersing 86 immoral gatherings such as same-sex weddings, drug parties and other similar offences across the state.
Sina-Ibn explained that 822 disputes were resolved amicably, while some are still pending at various courts due to their complex nature.
“Fifteen couples were married at Hisbah while 22 people converted to Islam during Da’awah in 2022,” he said.
On the area of strengthening Hisbah activities, Sina said the Kano State Government had recruited 5,700 Hisbah Marshall as well as 3,100 Hisbah corps members, in addition to new structures and renovation of buildings within the Hisbah headquarters and local government offices.
He said 1,000 Hisbah corps members were trained at the NYSC camp in the Kusalla Karaye local government area, adding that the state government had also provided new uniforms and other working materials to the staff of the agency to further motivate them.
The CG pointed out that a new Shari’a court was established at Hisbah headquarters, Sharada Kano, while the Emir of Kano, Alhaji Aminu Ado Bayero, approved the elevation of Hisbah Mosque to a Juma’at Mosque.
He said six Hisbah personnel were sponsored to Saudi Arabia for Hajj to assist Kano pilgrims during the annual pilgrimage.
He advised parents and guardians to be more vigilant and report any suspected person or character to relevant authorities, as the agency would not relent in its efforts to sanitise the state from all forms of social vices.
Last year, Hisbah came under attack after it failed to act on some pictures of the daughter of the Emir of Bichi who got married to Yusuf, President Muhammadu Buhari’s only son.
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 was nowhere to be found during the wedding, human rights activist, Omoyele Sowore 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”.
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.
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 was 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.
The Kano State Hisbah Board has also banned the use of mannequins to display clothes by tailors, supermarkets and boutique owners in the state.
Hisbah Commander-in-Chief 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.