KANO — In a city where two legal systems coexist in a delicate and often volatile balance, the recent arrest of 25 young adults by the Kano State Hisbah Board has reignited global concerns about the enforcement of religious morality in Nigeria’s north.
Acting on a community tip-off, operatives from the Hisbah—an Islamic religious police force operating in several northern states—descended on an event centre in Kano, claiming it was the venue of a same-sex marriage. Among those arrested were eighteen men and seven women, most in their early twenties, including the individuals alleged to be the intended couple.
The deputy commander of the Hisbah, Mujaheed Abubakar, confirmed that the operation was launched to prevent what he described as “an unlawful gathering” that violated Sharia law. According to Abubakar, one of the men was allegedly preparing to marry another, a claim which forms the basis of a pending investigation.
Kano is one of 12 Nigerian states that enforces Sharia law in addition to the federal legal code. Under this dual system, homosexuality is criminalized twice over—by national law and by the religious code that governs moral behavior in the region. The federal Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, enacted in 2014, forbids same-sex unions and any public show of same-sex affection, prescribing penalties of up to 14 years in prison. Meanwhile, Sharia law, as interpreted in the region, prescribes even harsher sentences, including death by stoning—though no such sentence has ever been carried out.
Despite the severity of the legal threats, no convictions have been recorded from previous mass arrests by the Hisbah at alleged same-sex weddings or social gatherings, with similar incidents reported in 2022, 2018, 2015, and 2007.
This latest incident underscores the ongoing friction between Nigeria’s modern constitutional framework and the deeply rooted religious governance present in parts of the country. It also highlights the precarious position of young people navigating identity in a system where even association or rumor can trigger state-level consequences.
Observers and rights groups have repeatedly warned that such arrests foster an atmosphere of fear and persecution, forcing many LGBTQ+ individuals further underground in a society where visibility can be equated with criminality. Yet for Kano’s Hisbah, enforcing moral codes remains a central tenet of their mandate—a reality that continues to clash with growing global discourse on human rights and legal protections.
As investigations proceed, the future of the 25 detained remains uncertain. What is clear, however, is that Nigeria’s battle over identity, law, and morality remains far from settled—and the consequences are deeply personal.
