Kano, Nigeria —The waiting room at the Hisbah Board headquarters in Kano northern Nigeria was already filling up with attendees full of hope for their disputes to be resolved, few minutes later, Mr. Eze, an Igbo man originally from southern part of the country and his wife, Mrs. Gloria Eze, arrived in gloomy faces.
Married for more than two decades, the Christian couple had come with a marital dispute they could no longer resolve on their own.
For Eze, this was not the first time he had sought help from Hisbah, an institution often associated with imposition and enforcement of Sharia and religious policing outside Northern Nigeria.
“I have lived in Kano since 2001,” he said in fluent Hausa, spoken with a distinct Igbo accent. “People may think this place is only for Muslims, but that has not been my experience.”
The couple had come hoping to save their marriage. For Eze, the decision to seek help from Hisbah was about trust rather than religious alignment.
“To be honest, the work of Hisbah in Kano has been very beneficial, I am neither a Muslim nor an indigene of Kano, yet this is the third time I come here with a complaint, and each time I leave satisfied.”
However, the man said he had never been asked to pay for the services rendered by Hisbah officials “I always feel at home here.”
Eze’s wife Mrs. Gloria shared the same view.
“They resolve all disputes for the sake of God, they are committed to ensuring justice and never collect a dime from anyone.” She said.
For the couple, Hisbah was neither a political nor religious symbol. It was simply a place they believed could help preserve a marriage that had lasted more than 20 years.
Their experience contrasts sharply with the image of Hisbah presented by many critics.
An institution under global scrutiny
For more than two decades, Hisbah has been one of the most visible institutions associated with Sharia implementation in parts of Northern Nigeria. Supporters describe it as a community-based body that promotes mediation, moral values and social order, while critics argue that it amounts to religious policing and raises concerns about religious freedom and equal citizenship.
The debate reached the United States Congress in December 2025, where lawmakers and invited witnesses called on Nigeria to abolish Sharia in the 12 northern states where it operates and disband Hisbah commissions.
During the hearing, Council on Foreign Relations Senior Fellow Dr. Ebenezer Obadare argued that extremist groups had exploited Sharia structures and Hisbah officials to advance extremist ideology and persecute Christians. Similar concerns have long been raised by some Christian advocacy organisations and human rights groups.
Hisbah officials reject those allegations.
Inside Hisbah
Inside the Kano State Hisbah Board headquarters, Christians, Muslims and people from different ethnic backgrounds wait side by side for mediation, presenting a different picture of the institution’s work.
Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, Commander-General of the Kano State Hisbah Board, insists that the commission is a government agency established by law.
“Hisbah is a government organisation founded and backed by law,” he said. “We operate strictly according to the responsibilities assigned to us.”
According to Daurawa, the board’s duties extend beyond public morality.
“We assist the Nigeria Police Force in maintaining security and encourage Muslims to live peacefully by promoting what is right and discouraging what is wrong.”
He said mediation forms the bulk of the board’s work.
“About 90 per cent of the cases handled by our General Complaints Unit involve marital issues. At our headquarters alone, we receive between 250 and 300 cases daily.”
According to Daurawa, the board handled nearly 90,000 cases in 2025, including about 16,000 marital disputes. Other cases involved rape, drug abuse, debt recovery, disputes among traders and counselling.
“Hisbah is fundamentally about reconciliation, promoting peace, understanding and harmony among the people.” he added
He also recalled that in 2015, when rumours of attacks on churches spread across Kano, Hisbah deployed nearly 3,000 officers to secure and protect churches.
“The Christian community later presented us with a letter of commendation.” Daurawa said.
When Explorer English asked what would happen if Hisbah were abolished, the Permanent Commissioner II of the Kano State Shariah Commission, Ali Dan Abba, said the move would create a huge vacuum and pose serious challenges to maintaining public order in the state.
According to him, the presence of Hisbah officers serves as a deterrent to many forms of misconduct.
“Many people stop engaging in wrongdoing the moment they see Hisbah officers because they know the officers are not there to collect bribes. They are carrying out their responsibilities for the sake of Allah,” he said.
Dan Abba also credited Hisbah with enforcing the state’s laws against same-sex relationships which is strictly prohibited by Nigeria’s legal system.
“Hisbah has successfully arrested many people involved in same-sex relationships. Without those efforts, we believe society would face greater moral challenges.” He said.
Balancing religious enforcement with the rule of law
However, despite its mediation and policing achievements, analyst suggest further recommendations of aligning Hisbah activities with the Nigerian law and modernization.
Abdussamad Ahmad Yusuf, a human security and policy analyst at HumAngle, understanding Hisbah requires looking at Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
“When uninterrupted democracy returned in Nigeria in 1999, a demand for the re-introduction of Sharia was renewed,” he said.
Yusuf explained that after Zamfara adopted Sharia, 11 other northern states followed, establishing institutions such as Hisbah commissions, Sharia commissions and Zakat boards to support implementation.
Unlike Sharia courts, which exercise judicial authority, he said Hisbah was designed mainly for mediation, counselling, public education and supporting state laws.
However, Yusuf believes legal recognition alone is not enough.
“The laws should continue to evolve,” he said. “They must respond to changing realities while protecting human dignity and remaining consistent with human rights standards.”
He added that Hisbah should continue drawing legitimacy from mediation and alternative dispute resolution rather than broad enforcement powers.
“The state assemblies should continue reviewing the laws in line with global best practices,” he said. “But they must ensure Hisbah is not over-empowered in ways that make it harsh or vulnerable to the same problems associated with the police and the courts.”
More than two decades after its establishment, Hisbah remains one of the most recognizable symbols of Sharia implementation in Northern Nigeria. For supporters, it is an accessible community institution filling gaps left by overstretched public agencies. For critics, its long-term legitimacy will depend on whether it remains transparent, accountable and respectful of the rights and dignity of everyone it serves.
And for Mr. Eze and his wife Gloria, Hisbah remains a rescuer of their ailing marriage after more than two decades of togetherness.
This piece was written by Abdulaziz Ibrahim with contributions from Abdulbasid Dantsoho and Abdussamad Ishaq
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