Hisbah To Resume Clapdown On Betting Shops After Court Ruling In Kano

Kano State Hisbah, the Islamic morality police, is set to intensify its crackdown on betting shops following a Supreme Court ruling that clarified the regulation of gambling as a state-level responsibility.

The court recently invalidated the 2005 law that established a national lottery commission and legalized sports betting, affirming that state governments have the authority to regulate gambling activities.

In Kano State, where Islamic Sharia law operates alongside federal law, gambling has long been prohibited.

Abba Sufi, the director-general of the Kano Hisbah, stated, “We will resume our clampdown on betting shops with renewed determination since betting is illegal under Kano state sharia law.”

Hisbah officials had previously conducted raids last month, closing several betting shops, accusing them of promoting activities banned under Sharia law.

However, the operations were paused after the National Lottery Commission argued that federal law, through the 2005 Lottery Act, had legalized sports betting.

With the Supreme Court ruling, Hisbah now plans to proceed without legal obstruction.

Sufi welcomed the decision, saying it resolves the conflict over whether gambling regulation falls under federal or state jurisdiction.

“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 added.

“We in Kano have frowned at the lottery law… because it gave legal backing to gambling which is clearly prohibited in Islam.”

Kano has an estimated 200 betting shops, where customers often gather to place bets on soccer matches and horse races, according to Sydney Emeafu, the head of the National Union of Gaming and Lottery Workers (NUGLOW) in Kano.

Sufi further explained that the raids were in response to complaints from parents worried about children drawn into gambling through 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.” he noted.

KanyiDaily recalls that Kano State Hisbah Board arrested Auwal Danladi Sankara, Jigawa State Commissioner of Special Duties, after he was caught with a married woman in an unfinished building.