The Hisbah body has threatened to arrest anyone involved in gambling and clamp down on betting shops with renewed determination, as “betting is illegal under Kano State Sharia law.”
It will be recalled that the Nigerian Supreme Court, on Friday, overturned the 2005 National Lottery Act, which established the National Lottery Commission and legalised sports betting and gambling across the country.
Additionally, the court ruled that gambling regulation falls under the jurisdiction of state governments, marking a significant shift in the oversight of the industry.
However, the ruling has sparked immediate reactions, particularly in Kano State, where Islamic Sharia law operates alongside federal law.
Speaking with Abba Sufi, Director-General of the Kano Hisbah, the state’s religious police, he announced plans to intensify crackdowns on betting establishments.
According to him, “We will resume our clampdown on betting shops with renewed determination since betting is illegal under Kano State Sharia law.”
However, with this verdict, the controversy over who should be in charge of lottery legislation between the federal government and state governments has been settled.
Sufi said the lottery law had been a source of contention due to its perceived endorsement of gambling, which is forbidden in Islam.
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