Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested two women and a 35‑year‑old fish seller over an alleged attempt to engage in immoral acts at a housing estate in the state. The board’s Director of Public Enlightenment, Auwalu Sheshe, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued on Wednesday, adding that the suspects were apprehended during a raid at the Sheikh Muhammad Nasiru Kabara Housing Estate, popularly known as Bandirawo Housing Estate, along Daura Road in Kano. The operation was led by a senior Hisbah commander, Hafizu Garba Adakawa. The suspects have been arraigned before a Hisbah court, which is a Shari’ah‑compliant tribunal that operates within the board’s premises in Kano. The board has a legal mandate to enforce moral codes, investigate complaints, and prosecute cases related to immoral conduct in the state.
Preliminary investigations revealed that one of the women, Khadija Ahmad, a 30‑year‑old from Rimi Local Government Area in Katsina State, allegedly rented out rooms in the apartment she occupied with her children for “immoral purposes” in exchange for money. The board’s statement said Khadija claimed the property had been given to her by a friend who had travelled to Egypt, adding that she also alleged that similar activities were common within the neighbourhood. The other two suspects, Ali Abubakar, a 35‑year‑old fish seller who resides in the Kano Cooperative area, and Fatima Abubakar, a 28‑year‑old woman from the Niger Republic, were found together inside a room and were allegedly preparing to engage in “immoral conduct” at the time of their arrest. The three suspects were said to have expressed remorse and pleaded for forgiveness. The board, however, said they would face legal consequences in accordance with the state’s Shari’ah laws.
This latest raid is part of a wider crackdown on activities that the board considers to be breaches of public morality. In March 2026, the Kano State Hisbah Board arrested 21 persons, including a hotel manager, in the Kureken Sani area of Kumbotso Local Government Area over alleged immoral activities. During the same month, the board also arrested over 600 people across the state during the Sallah festivities for various offences, including indecent dressing and immoral acts. The board has also recovered missing children and prosecuted individuals for a range of social infractions.
Sheshe reiterated the board’s commitment to curbing immoral behaviour in the state, adding that the suspects have been arraigned before a Hisbah court. He warned that similar operations would be carried out in other parts of Kano to rid society of what the board considers to be social vices. The arrests have also attracted some criticism from civil society groups that argue that the board’s activities sometimes infringe on individual liberties. However, the Kano State Government continues to back the Hisbah Board’s enforcement of Shari’ah law, which is applicable to Muslims in the state.
The suspects’ court proceedings are being conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Kano State Shari’ah Penal Code Law, which criminalises immoral acts, including prostitution and public indecency. The law prescribes various punishments, which can range from fines to imprisonment, depending on the gravity of the offence. The board has a dedicated legal unit that prepares charges and presents evidence before the Hisbah courts, which are separate from the conventional magistrate courts in the state. While the board’s arrest powers have occasionally been contested, the Kano State Government has consistently maintained that its operations are lawful and necessary to preserve the state’s Islamic identity. The board has operated since the re‑introduction of Shari’ah law in Kano in the early 2000s.
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