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Gambling: Hisbah to resume clampdown on betting shops after court ruling
Islamic morality police in the northern Nigerian city of Kano are to resume their crackdown on betting shops after a supreme court ruling on gambling.
The Nigerian Supreme Court quashed a 2005 law Friday that established a national lottery commission and legalised sports betting and gambling.
The court ruled gambling regulation is a matter for state governments.
Kano State is one of 12 predominantly Muslim Nigerian states in which Islamic sharia is used alongside federal law.
“We will resume our clampdown on betting shops with renewed determination since betting is illegal under Kano state sharia law,” Abba Sufi, director general of the Kano Hisbah, told AFP.
The Hisbah is a state unit that polices Sharia law in Kano, northern Nigeria’s biggest city.
Last month Hisbah operatives raided and closed dozens of football betting shops across the city which they said were promoting gambling, which is prohibited under sharia.
Raids were halted after the National Lottery Commission protested that betting on football was legal under Nigerian federal law under the 2005 Lottery Act, Sufi said.
“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 K ano have frowned at the lottery law… because it gave legal backing to gambling which is clearly prohibited in Islam.”
There are around 200 betting shops across the city with television screens where customer watch international soccer matches and horse races and place bets, Sydney Emeafu, head of the National Union of Gaming and Lottery Workers (NUGLOW) in Kano, told AFP.
According to Sufi, the raids followed repeated complaints by parents of children whose love of football teams had led them into gambling.
“And the harsh economic climate is pushing more people into this football gambling, hoping to make easy money and becoming hooked to the vice,” Sufi argued.
AFP
The Executive Committee and Stakeholders of the All Progressives Congress(APC) in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State have passed a vote of confidence on President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani ahead of 2027, declaring that there would not be vacancy in the Aso Rock Villa and Sir Kashim Ibrahim House Kaduna during the next election.
This is contained in a communiqué signed by Francis Danladi Kozah and Jerry Irimiya Mark, chairman and co-chairman of the APC stakeholders and read by the council chairman, Joseph Bege.
The communique stated that the decision was taken based on President Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani’s commitments to the peace and security of not just Zangon Kataf, but Kaduna state at large.
According to the stakeholders, the establishment of a military 2nd National Mission Brigade base in the local government has proven to be a pivotal move in sustaining peace in the area.
“Their commitment to the peace and security of our people is evident in the sudden end to attacks on our communities.
“This move reflects the government’s understanding of the critical need for enhanced security measures in areas prone to conflict, thereby fostering an environment where citizens can thrive.
“We urge all residents of Zangon Kataf to remain vigilant and committed to fostering harmony within our communities, as peace is the cornerstone of development,” They said.
The stakeholders lauded Tinubu for appointing Indigenes of Zangon Kataf including Gen. Chris Musa as Chief of Defence Staff and Bishop Hassan Kukah as Pro Chancellor of the Federal University of Applied Sciences, Kachia.
They explained that given the return of peace in the area and the tangible infrastructural development being witnessed, the re-election of Tinubu and Sani was a done deal.
“In light of all that we have benefited from this government, we want to declare that there is no vacancy in Sir Kashim Ibrahim House and Aso Rock come 2027.
“We shall offer our full support to both President Bola Tinubu and Governor Uba Sani in their re-election bid,” they added.
They appreciated Gov. Sani for the ongoing multi-billion naira skills acquisition city that will provide ‘our youths with certified skills, thereby stamping out the root cause of criminality in our society’.
The stakeholders called on people of the local government to rally behind the two leaders as they have shown dedication to their welfare, security and progress.
Nigeria’s public debt rose by 48.5 per cent year-on-year (YoY) to N144.67 trillion ($94.23 billion) in 2024 from N97.34 trillion ($108.23 billion) in 2023.
The Debt Management Office (DMO) disclosed this in its latest public debt profile report.
The debt stock consists of external debt of N70.29 trillion ($45.78 billion) serviced with $4.66 million and domestic debt of N74.38 trillion ($48.44 billion).
The report showed that the country’s external debt increased by 83.89 per cent YoY from N38.22 trillion ($42.5 billion) in 2023.
Domestic debt also grew by 25.7 per cent YoY from N59.12 trillion ($65.73 billion) in 2023.
The report further indicated that the Federal Government’s domestic debt component rose by 32 per cent YoY to N70.41 trillion from N53.26 trillion in 2023.
But the domestic debt of states and the Federal Capital Territory declined YoY by 32 per cent to N3.97 trillion in 2024 from N5.86 trillion in 2023.
The rise in public debt can be attributed to fluctuating trends in exchange rates amidst changes in global economic conditions.
The sharp increase, particularly in external debt, highlights the nation’s vulnerability to exchange rate volatility and changes in global economic conditions.
With the continued depreciation of the naira, the cost of servicing foreign debt could escalate, adding pressure on the country’s financial resources.