More than a dozen Muslims have been arrested in a northern Nigerian state for eating and drinking publicly, as well as selling food at the start of Ramadan, when Muslims are expected to fast from dawn until dusk.
Mujahid Aminudeen, the deputy commander of the Hisbah, told BBC that more than 20 Muslims have been arrested in the northern Muslim-majority state of Kano for not fasting. Five Muslims have also been detained for selling food. The operations would continue until the end of Ramadan, and they have been in force since March 1st.
"It is important to note that we don't concern ourselves with non-Muslims," Aminudeen said, adding that any "disrespect" for Ramadan will not be condoned.
"It's heart-breaking that in such a holy month meant for fasting, adult Muslims would be seen eating and drinking publicly. We won't condone that, and that's why we went out to make arrests," he added.
Aminudeen said that all those arrested had been charged in a Sharia court and would be punished accordingly. Sharia, or Islamic law, was introduced to work alongside secular law in Kano and 11 other northern states in Nigeria that have a Muslim majority. However, Sharia does not apply to the Christian minorities living in those states.
The Hisbah official also said they sometimes get tip-offs when people are seen eating.
"We do get calls from people who are enraged after seeing people eating in public, and we act fast by going to the area to make arrests," Aminudeen said.
He also confirmed the arrests of other people who were seen with "inappropriate haircuts", wearing shorts above the knee, and tricycle drivers mixing male and female passengers.
Last year, those arrested for not fasting were freed after promising to fast, while the relatives and guardians of some of them were summoned and ordered to monitor them to make sure they fasted during Ramadan.
However, those arrested this year were not so lucky as they must face charges and appear in court.
Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar and has special significance for Muslims. During this month, Muslims believe the first verses of the Quran, Islam’s holy book, were revealed to the Prophet Muhammad.
Fasting during Ramadan is also one of the Five Pillars of Islam, which lay the basis of how Muslims must live their lives. The fast is observed during daylight hours. Ramadan usually lasts around 29 to 30 days, and this year’s Ramadan is expected to end on March 30.
