Kano State government plans to introduce strict Sharia law banning women from driving

KANO State government is planning to introduce a new law that will prohibit women from driving automobiles as part of a renewed enforcement of the strict Sharia code which regards allowing women to drive as un-Islamic.

Across northern Nigeria, 12 states have adopted the Islamic Sharia code since 1999 and Kano State enforces it the most severely with its Hisbah Islamic Police Force. Sharia prevents the consumption of alcohol, prohibits men and women from congregating together, outlaws prostitution and gambling and imposes strict punishment including amputation for the breaking of laws.

Earlier this week, the Kano State Council of Ulama held at meeting at Sharia Commission during the Sallah break with the state commissioner for religious affairs, Dr Mohammed Tahir. Led by Sheikh Abdulwahab Abdallah, the Islamic clerics are believed to have outlined details of the proposed law.

Already the draft bill is undergoing final fine-tuning at the state ministry of justice and any time from now, it would be presented to the Kano State House of Assembly for ratification and eventual enactment into law. Feelers from the meeting said the resolutions was adopted after thorough submissions by Sheikh Abdallah Usman Umar Gadon Kaya who vociferously canvassed for the total ban, as according to him, allowing women driving in the state represents the darkest moments in the lives of Muslims.

In his submission, Dr Sani Umar Rijiyar Lemo posited that Kano State should borrow a leaf from Saudi Arabia, which, according to him, is a society governed by Islamic Sharia laws. Sheikh Abdallah Pakistan opined that there is no better time to enact such law than now because the state is undergoing Islamic revivalism under Governor Ganduje.

Dr Tahir assured the gathering of Governor Abdullahi Ganduje’s commitment to sanitising Kano from all social vices. He added: "As a servant of Islam, Governor Ganduje would do everything to ensure Kano is set on the path of sanity, moral rectitude as enshrined by Islam.”

Other clerics including Dr Aliyu Umar Al-Furqaan and Prof Salisu Shehu who also spoke during the meeting lent their support for the enactment of law. Ustaz Harun Mohammad Ibn Sina, the commander-general of the Kano State Hisbah Commission, said if the bill finally became law, the agency would effectively and efficiently enforce it to the letter and punish any offender irrespective of whoever is involved.

He added that the proposed bill, if eventual signed into law, would effectively bar all female gender irrespective of faith from driving any type of automobiles in the state. Those who attended the meeting include Sheikh Abdallah Usman Umar Gadon Kaya, Sheikh Abdallah Pakistan, Sheikh Abdulwahab Abdallah BUK, Sheikh Sani Umar Rijiyar Lemo, Professor Salisu Shehu and Dr Aliyu Umar Al-Furqaan among others.