Nabahani Usman, the commander-general of the Sharia Police (Hisbah) in Kano, has stated that people eating in public during the Ramadan will be arrested.The Sharia Police boss who told BBC that people eating in public during the Ramadan will be arrested, added that those arrested will only be released when they can provide proof of illness via a medical report from a doctor that exempts such persons from fasting.

Usman who noted that Ramadan was a special month for Muslims and anybody that practised Islam must fast, further stated that even with the exemption letter, the person will be warned not to repeat such before being released.

He said: “We do this kind of operation yearly and we will continue it this year. The aim is to get every Muslim to respect the month of Ramadan. Even if a doctor says you should not fast, that does not mean you should eat in public while others are fasting. So any Muslim that we apprehend eating outside, our men will arrest and bring the person to our office unless he can show proof that a doctor asked him not to fast.”