Yobe Hisbah Destroys N450,000 Worth of Alcohol
Vendor jailed as Islamic police enforce state's prohibition on alcoholic beverages
The Yobe State Hisbah Board has carried out the destruction of over 170 bottles of alcoholic beverages valued at N450,000 in Gashua, Bade Local Government Area, following a raid on a local hotel.
Ibrahim Babagana Yurema, Chairman of Bade Local Government Area, who led the operation, emphasized the board’s determination to curb alcohol sales and consumption, particularly among youth. “The council is resolute in combating this immoral act to safeguard our community from its harmful consequences,” Yurema stated.
The confiscation and destruction followed legal proceedings at a Sharia Court, according to Malam Isah Ibrahim, the Zonal Commandant of the Hisbah Board for Yobe North. The court found the vendor guilty of violating the state’s prohibition on alcohol, resulting in a prison sentence and an order for the Hisbah Board to destroy the seized whisky.
The operation marks another instance of the Islamic police enforcing religious law in northern Nigeria, with authorities citing concerns over what they describe as both religious violations and public health issues. Yurema specifically pointed to the “harmful” effects of alcohol on mental clarity and its contradiction with Islamic teachings.
However, the incident has sparked renewed debate on social media about the fairness of Nigeria’s revenue sharing formula, with critics questioning whether states that prohibit alcohol through religious law should benefit from the Value Added Tax (VAT) generated by alcohol sales in other states. This ongoing controversy highlights the complex intersection and tensions between religious law, federal revenue distribution, and state autonomy in Nigeria’s federal system.
