Kano Police Force have begun to strictly enforce Islamic law. Last week, over 150 people were arrested for indecent dressing. Some people in Nigeria’s second city were picked up “sagging their pants too low,” or “sporting hair styles inspired by prominent international football players,” a spokesman for Kano’s Sharia Police, Mohammed Yusuf Yola, noted to the Associated Press.
This strict enforcement of the Sharia law is a part of the government’s discipline method and curbing immorality. Other civilians were jailed and fined for sagging their pants too low; the law sees this act as an influence of some American hip hop artists, which is unacceptable.
Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, Kano state Governor gave this ‘anti-crime’ order to the police department, in his effort to purge the city of immoral acts and practices. The Sharia Police (Hisbah) Director, General Abba Sufi noted that this patrol or order will continue in the weeks ahead.
“We have arrested 150 men and women in the past week, including prostitutes and their boyfriends, transvestites, alcoholics and those engaged in indecent dressing in contravention of the sharia legal code,” Yola told AFP.
Given that the governor is viewed as a moderate leader who has failed to impose the Sharia rules, some politicians see this order as his response. However, Yola, the police spokesman insisted that the operation was launched “to reverse disturbing trends in the city of some five million people and is targeting people of various faiths. Those arrested include Muslims and non-Muslims and we treat them equally because this is about morality,” he said.
Some of the arrested civilians were released after paying fines ranging from 10,000-15,000 Naira ($60-$70). The spokesman also added that the people who could not afford the fine remains in jail . He would not specify how many people are currently detained.
I won’t be surprise if several states follow Kano’s trend and impose Sharia laws even on its Christian minorities. Today, it targets is immorality. Tomorrow, who knows? While other terrible crimes like murder, rape, theft, or fraud exist, Kano is more concerned about ‘sagging pants’.
What do you think…is jailing people necessarily an effective means of curtailing immorality? Is sagging pants immoral?
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