Rano Local Government Area of Kano State passes by-law preventing opposite sexes from meeting at night

RANO Local Government Area of Kano State has taken the sharia laws operational within the state to new lengths with the enactment of a bye-law banning men and women from meeting together in public places at night.

Kano is one of the 12 states in northern Nigeria that introduced the extreme Sharia laws after the return to democracy in 1999. Similar to the extreme Muslim laws that exist in Saudi Arabia and which the Taliban and now trying to bring back into Afghanistan, these Sharia laws punish theft with the amputation of limbs and punish prostitution with being stoned to death.

In Kano State, the Sharia laws are particularly harsh and strictly enforced because the religious police the Hisbah are well funded and equipped by the state government. Taking this a step further, the Rano Local Government Area has decided to introduced this new Draconian law, which it said was due to reported cases of immoral activities between girls and boys, including divorcees.

Under the new regime, lovers can now only meet at day time to discuss. the council Dahiru Muhammad, the chairman of the Rano Local Government Area announced the law at a security committee meeting attended by residents and traditional leaders.

Mr Muhammad said the high rate of immorality in the local government areas guided the council to come up with the new law. He added that the law was meant to sanitise the council area of immoral activities occurring during night discussions between the opposite sex.

Mannir Tafida-Abubakar, the traditional district head of Rano, called on village and ward heads as well as imams across the area to ensure that residents comply with the new law. He added that there are about three major issues bordering on immorality happening in the area and had become a source of concern to residents.

Mr said: Tafida-Abubakar: “Parents most welcome the decision and support it. If parents do not cooperate and such things happen again, the affected will face the consequences of their negligence.”

In 2019, the Kano State government banned the opposite sex from boarding the same commercial tricycles. Already, the Hisbah police have been asked to enforce this new law across the Rano Local Government Area.