Islamic police in Kano, a city in northern Nigeria, have begun shutting down sports betting shops for operating illegally.
“As you know, gambling is prohibited in Islam,” Mujahid Aminuddin, deputy chief of the Sharia police force known as Hisbah, told the BBC.
He said the crackdown was prompted by complaints from community leaders and parents concerned about the rise in gambling addiction.
Sharia law officials said 30 shops were closed in one suburb alone on the first day of the raid, and shop owners were sent home with a warning.
But Aminudeen warned that now that the public knows Hisbah is cracking down on gambling, those who flout the rules will be arrested.
Kano City is the capital of Kano State, has a majority Muslim population, and operates an Islamic legal system, Sharia, in parallel with secular law.
Bookmakers and bars tend to be allowed to operate in Kano’s Christian areas, but these businesses could also be disciplined if Hisbah determines they are frequented by Muslims.
But the current crackdown is focused on Muslim areas in the vast city of Kano, the economic hub of northern Nigeria.
Sports betting shops are located all over the city. Most have TV screens where customers watch the results of international soccer matches and horse races for money.
Aminudeen said these bookmakers were able to operate under the radar because they operated under false pretenses.
“They don’t have a business license because they were given a license to operate a video arcade, but they later converted it into a betting shop,” he said.
The sports betting industry has expanded dramatically in recent years across West Africa, which is divided into the mostly Muslim north and Christian south.
Many people use bookmakers to enjoy the camaraderie of other gamblers, but mobile apps that allow you to bet on the outcome of an event or team are also popular.
Nigeria’s devastating economic crisis also means people are willing to take small risks in hopes of winning big.
But this led to an epidemic of addiction, with parents complaining that their children were dropping out of school to gamble, Aminudeen said.
“These economic problems we are facing in Nigeria are God telling us to stop sinning and change our ways of living,” he said.
Tuesday’s raid focused on Munjiville, considered a resort area in the northeastern part of the city that attracts tourists on weekends.
“I am advising the people running these gambling shops to either close down or arrest them and take them to (Islamic) courts,” Aminudeen said.
It is unclear what penalties they will face, and such violations often result in fines.
Like 11 other Muslim-majority northern states, Kano state introduced sharia in 2000, banning prostitution, gambling, and alcohol.
