11 Muslims were detained by Islamic police in Kano, a state in northern Nigeria, on Tuesday for eating during the Ramadan fast.
The majority-Muslim city of Kano has Sharia, an Islamic legal system, in place alongside secular law.
Every year during Ramadan, searches of markets and restaurants are conducted by the Islamic police, sometimes referred to as Hisbah.
After promising not to intentionally skip a fast in the future, the ten men and one woman were set free.
Hisbah spokeswoman Lawal Fagge told the BBC, “We got 11 persons on Tuesday including a lady selling groundnuts who was seen eating from her wares and some persons alerted us.”
“The other 10 were men and were arrested across the city especially close to markets where a lot of activities happen.”
He indicated that although the search will go on, non-Muslims would not be searched.
“We don’t arrest non-Muslims because this doesn’t concern them and the only time they could be guilty of a crime is when we find out they cook food to sell to Muslims that are supposed to be fasting.”
He stated that the people who had been detained had been released after making a commitment to begin fasting going forward, and that “for some of them, we had to see their relatives or guardians in order to have family monitor them.”
Twelve northern Nigerian states, all of which have a majority Muslim population, introduced Sharia to coexist with secular law a little more than 20 years ago.
The Islamic calendar has Ramadan as its ninth month. In Islam, it holds a particular meaning.
The first words of the Quran, the sacred book of Islam, are said to have been revealed to the Prophet Muhammad during this month, according to Muslims.
Islam’s Five Pillars, which provide the guidelines for Muslims’ life, include fasting. Throughout the day, people observe the fast.
Fasting is anticipated to begin on Monday, March 11 and end on Tuesday, April 9. This year, Ramadan is anticipated to last 30 days.
