Kano State’s Islamic morality police, Hisbah, will resume raids on betting shops following a Supreme Court decision regarding gambling.
On Friday, the Nigerian Supreme Court annulled a 2005 law that established the National Lottery Commission and legalized sports betting and gambling.
The court ruled that gambling regulation falls under the jurisdiction of state governments.
Kano, one of 12 predominantly Muslim states in Nigeria where Islamic Sharia law operates alongside federal law, views gambling as illegal under Sharia.
Speaking with AFP, Abba Sufi, the Director General of Kano Hisbah, stated, “We will resume our clampdown on betting shops with renewed determination since betting is illegal under Kano state sharia law.”
He emphasized, “With this verdict, the controversy on who should be in charge of lottery legislation between the federal government and state governments has been settled.”
Sufi further criticized the lottery law, saying, “We in Kano have frowned at the lottery law… because it gave legal backing to gambling which is clearly prohibited in Islam.”
He explained that the raids were prompted by frequent complaints from parents about their children being drawn into gambling through their passion for football.
“And the harsh economic climate is pushing more people into this football gambling, hoping to make easy money and becoming hooked to the vice,” Sufi added.
The Hisbah is tasked with enforcing Sharia law in Kano, northern Nigeria’s largest city.
Last month, Hisbah operatives conducted raids on numerous football betting shops across Kano, arguing that they promoted gambling, which is forbidden under Sharia.
However, these operations were paused after the National Lottery Commission protested, citing federal law under the 2005 Lottery Act that legalized betting on football, Sufi noted.
With the Supreme Court’s ruling, Hisbah plans to intensify efforts to shut down betting operations in the state.
