Idris Ahmed Gama, an employee of the Kano Hisbah Board, has been arrested following his public remarks that the police’s arrest of LGBTQ individuals violates human rights.
Sheikh Aminu Ibrahim Daurawa, Commander-General of the Board, announced this during a press briefing in Kano, noting that the state government has prohibited any group promoting LGBTQ activities. He emphasized that Kano State adheres strictly to Sharia and Nigerian laws prohibiting same-sex marriages.
Daurawa stated that the Hisbah Board had apprehended Idris Ahmed Gama, an agency staff member, whose social media video defending a group suspected of promoting LGBTQ rights had gone viral.
The Commander-General called on religious leaders, traditional rulers, media, and all stakeholders to support efforts against immorality in the state.
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Idris Ahmed Gama explained that he had attended a workshop on women’s empowerment organized by the Women Initiative for Sustainable Empowerment and Equality (WISE) where he unintentionally mentioned LGBTQ during an interview on police actions against LGBTQ members.
Gama clarified that he is not associated with any LGBTQ advocacy group and apologized, promising not to engage with WISE in the future.
Meanwhile, Baba Halilu Dantiye, Kano State Commissioner for Information, stated that the governor had directed a crackdown on all groups promoting LGBTQ activities, describing such activities as contrary to Kano’s moral standards and Sharia.
Dantiye assured the public that the state government would not tolerate any activities that promote homosexuality, considering that the majority of Kano’s population are Muslims who reject such practices.
The commissioner added that consultations with religious leaders were ongoing to tackle these activities effectively.
