Five persons, suspected to have engaged in homosexuality, have been arrested in Kano State, North-West Nigeria.
The five of them were arrested on Monday at Sheka Barde in the Kumbotso Local Government Area, an official of the Kano State Hisbah Board said in a statement.
Commander General of the Board, Harun Ibn-Zina, in the statement signed by Hisbah spokesman, Lawal Ibrahim, explained that the arrests were made following a tip-off from residents of the area.
“All the suspects are confirmed to be above 20 years of age. They were apprehended on July 11 during a special raid,” he said.
Ibn-Zina said the suspects would soon be charged to court.
News Central reports that Hisbab, an Islamic police unit established by the Kano State Government, had been known to make some unpopular arrests and bans. On July 4, the board ordered clothes sellers to stop the use of mannequins to display their wares, claiming that their use violates Islamic provisions and promotes immoral thoughts among some members of the public.
The ban exempted headless mannequins.
Last month, the board arrested a young man, Muhammad Ikbal, who stopped praying and going to the mosque after operatives of the Islamic police shaved his hair.
The agency has also banned attractive haircuts, sagging trousers, the playing of music at social functions by disc jockeys, and the use of pictures on tricycles that are considered obscene and contrary to Islam.