Hisbah Raids Kano Entertainment Spot, Arrests Seven Suspected Cross-Dressers

The Kano State Hisbah Board has arrested seven suspected cross-dressers following a late-night raid on a popular entertainment spot along Zoo Road, in the heart of Kano metropolis.

The operation, which officials described as intelligence-driven, was carried out after reports of alleged immoral activities within the facility.

Deputy Commander General of the Hisbah Board, Sheikh Mujahid Aminudeen Abubakar, confirmed the arrests, noting that all seven suspects are teenagers under the age of 23.

According to him, the suspects had travelled from Kogi, Bauchi, and Kano States to participate in activities the board classified as violations of moral conduct. He disclosed that the social joint where the arrests were made would be sealed pending further investigation.

The raid also led to other apprehensions. Hisbah operatives reportedly arrested a young man and a woman found together inside a tricycle at the time of the operation.

Sheikh Mujahid said all those arrested alongside the operators of the establishment would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action. He urged Kano residents to continue reporting suspicious activities to Hisbah and other security agencies.

The latest arrests come just weeks after a similar operation in the Gaida community of Kumbotso Local Government Area, where six suspected cross-dressers were taken into custody following complaints from residents.

Though the suspects in that incident reportedly confessed and pleaded for leniency, Hisbah has not publicly disclosed whether they were prosecuted or cleared.

The development adds to a series of recent actions by the Hisbah Board aimed at curbing what it considers social vices in the State. In October, the Agency made headlines after arresting 25 youths accused of organising a same-sex marriage ceremony at a Kano event centre, an allegation that drew National attention given the region’s strict interpretation of Sharia law.

Kano is one of 12 Northern Nigerian States operating Sharia law alongside the conventional justice system. Under this legal framework, homosexuality carries severe penalties, though the most extreme punishments have never been enforced.

The Hisbah Board maintains that its continued operations are rooted in safeguarding public morality, even as debates persist over human rights, due process, and the boundaries of religious policing in a diverse society.