The Kano Hisbah Police has impounded a truck laden with alcoholic drinks worth over N25 million on Christmas day.
Making the announcement, the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Road and Traffic Agency (KAROTA), Nabilusi Abubakar, said the agency, in conjunction with the Hisbah Police, intercepted the truck along Hadeja Road in Kano metropolis, on its way to Bello Road to offload its contents, following an intelligence report.
Abubakar added that the agency had warned that its men would continue to be vigilant to check the activities of persons transporting such prohibited items into the state.
The statement reads in part:
“The Managing Director of the agency, Baffa Dan’agundi, reiterated that KAROTA’s doors were always open to members of the public who had information that could aid his men in the discharge of their duties.
“The truck and its contents have since been handed over to the State Hisbah Board for further investigation and necessary action.”
In 2004, the Kano State House of Assembly had enacted a law banning the production, haulage, sale and consumption of alcohol in the state. The action was based on the prohibition of the consumption of alcohol by Islam.
Over the years, the Hisbah Police has continued to impound and destroy millions of alcoholic drinks, an action that has had many Nigerians call for the scrapping of the law since Nigeria is a secular state.
The arguments have been that such actions violate the Nigerian Constitution, which does not prohibit the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages.
In November 2020, the Hisbah Board destroyed over 1,975,000 bottles of beer, worth over N200 million.
