Ramadan: Nigerians face arrest for ‘eating in public’

Muslim faithful’s gather at the Al-Furqan Mosque compound for Friday Jumat prayers in Kano, Nigeria, on February 24,

The holy month of Ramadan for Muslims began on Thursday.

Islamic police in Nigeria’s northern Kano state have warned Muslims against violating religious norms during the holy month of Ramadan, including “eating in public”.

In a statement on Thursday, the religious police force, known as Hisbah Board, warned that those who engage in societal vices during the sacred month will be punished, local media reported.

“Some of the youths who eat in public during the fasting period will not be spared either,” the commander-general of the board, Harun Ibn-Sina, was quoted as saying.

Mr Ibn-Sina said the board has deployed officers to mosques to ensure the safety during the fasting period which started on Thursday.

Hisbah Board enforces Islamic law in Kano, a largely Muslim state.

Source: BBC News