The Kano State Hisbah Board has detained 11 Muslims for violating the Ramadan fast by eating during the daytime.
News About Nigeria gathered that the arrests occurred as part of the board’s annual Ramadan enforcement operations, which involve monitoring eateries and markets.
Lawal Ibrahim, the board’s public relations officer, confirmed the arrests during an interview with the BBC Hausa Service on Wednesday.
He disclosed that the arrests were made on Tuesday across the city, particularly in proximity to markets.
“The individuals apprehended include 10 men and one woman, who was caught eating from her groundnut-selling stall,” Ibrahim stated.
He clarified that non-Muslims are not subject to such enforcement measures.
However, if found selling food to Muslims during fasting hours, they could be considered to be in violation of the rules.
“We arrested 11 individuals on Tuesday, including a woman selling groundnuts who was observed eating from her merchandise, following alerts from some individuals. The other 10 individuals were men and were apprehended across the city, particularly near markets where there is significant activity,” Ibrahim explained.
“We do not arrest non-Muslims because this does not concern them, and they are only considered to have committed an offense if we discover they are cooking food to sell to Muslims who are fasting,” he added.
Ramadan is a sacred time observed by over 1.8 billion Muslims globally, characterised by fasting and spiritual reflection.
Fasting during Ramadan is one of the Five Pillars of Islam, obligatory for all healthy Muslims.
However, certain individuals, such as young children, the sick, travellers, and specific categories of women, are exempt.
