The Kano State Hisbah Board has reaffirmed its commitment to intensify raids on betting shops in the state, following the Supreme Court’s ruling that gambling regulation falls under the jurisdiction of state governments.
The apex court, in its decision on Friday, invalidated the 2005 federal law that established the National Lottery Regulatory Commission and legalised sports betting across the country. The court clarified that the regulation of gambling activities is exclusively a state matter.
Speaking on the ruling, the Director General of the Kano Hisbah Board, Abba Sufi, stated: “We will resume our clampdown on betting shops with renewed determination since betting is illegal under Kano State sharia law.”
He made this declaration during an interview with AFP, describing the judgment as a pivotal moment that settles the jurisdictional controversy over gambling regulation.
Hisbah operatives had previously conducted raids across Kano city last month, shutting down several football betting shops. However, the operations were temporarily halted after protests from the National Lottery Regulatory Commission, which cited the 2005 Lottery Act as the legal basis for gambling nationwide.
“With this verdict, the controversy on who should be in charge of lottery legislation between the federal government and state governments has been settled,” Sufi added. “We in Kano have frowned at the lottery law because it gave legal backing to gambling, which is clearly prohibited in Islam.”
Sufi further explained that the crackdown on betting shops is in response to increasing public complaints about the negative impact of gambling, particularly on children. He said, “The harsh economic climate is pushing more people into football gambling, hoping to make easy money and becoming hooked to the vice.”
Kano State, which operates under Islamic sharia law, has consistently maintained a hardline stance against gambling. Hisbah officials argue that betting activities undermine societal values and contribute to social problems, especially among the youth.
