By John Ikani
The Kano State Hisbah Board has explained that its mode of arrest differs between the poor and the rich because the tenet of Islam forbids criticising leaders in public.
Hisbah recently came under fire for turning blind eyes to wedding events involving the rich, especially the ‘revealing’ wedding dresses of the bride of Yusuf Buhari, the son of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Its controversial orders such as the ban on the use of mannequins for the display of clothes, stylish haircut, destruction of alcoholic beverages, among others also sparked outrage from majority of Nigerians.
Also, in March, the Islamic police invaded some off-campus hostels of Bayero University, arresting students of the opposite sex found in the same room.
Speaking with Freedom Radio, the Director-General of the Board, Aliyu Musa Kibiya, argued that although the Islamic police must ensure uprightness, there were different approaches when treating misconducts based on a person’s social status.
According to him, Islamic law allows for preferential treatment for the rich and influential leaders and frowns at public criticism against them.
“Although we call on everybody in the society to do the right thing, but we make the call on case by case basis.
“It is against the tenets of Islam to mount the podium and call out leaders. There are ways to caution a leader without criticizing him in public,” Mr Kibiya said.
However, the commander-general of the board, Haroun Ibn-Sina, told the radio station that they also arrest the children of the rich.
Mr Ibn-Sina did not cite examples of the children of the rich arrested by Hisbah.
