Kano to Resume Crackdown on Betting Shops After Supreme Court Ruling on National Lottery Act

Islamic morality police in Kano, a northern Nigerian city, will resume their crackdown on betting shops following a recent Supreme Court ruling on gambling.

The Nigerian Supreme Court annulled a 2005 law on Friday that had established a national lottery commission and legalized sports betting and gambling. The court ruled that gambling regulation is the responsibility of state governments.

Kano State is one of 12 predominantly Muslim Nigerian states where Islamic sharia law is applied alongside federal law.

“We will resume our clampdown on betting shops with renewed determination, as betting is illegal under Kano state sharia law,” Abba Sufi, Director-General of Kano Hisbah, told AFP. Hisbah is the state agency responsible for enforcing sharia law in Kano, the largest city in northern Nigeria.

Last month, Hisbah operatives raided and shut down several football betting shops across the city, citing the promotion of gambling, which is prohibited under sharia law. The raids were temporarily halted after the National Lottery Commission argued that betting on football was legal under the 2005 Lottery Act.

“With this ruling, the debate over who should regulate lottery legislation—federal or state governments—has been resolved,” Sufi added. “We in Kano have always opposed the lottery law, as it gave legal backing to gambling, which is clearly forbidden in Islam.”

Kano has approximately 200 betting shops where customers can watch international soccer matches and horse races while placing bets, according to Sydney Emeafu, head of the National Union of Gaming and Lottery Workers (NUGLOW) in Kano.

Sufi explained that the raids followed concerns raised by parents about children being drawn into gambling due to their passion for football. He also noted that the harsh economic climate has driven many people toward gambling, hoping to make quick money and becoming addicted to the vice.