Hisbah Arrests 16 in Sokoto Hotel Raid, Repatriates Alleged Sex Workers

By Bashir Rabe Mani, Sokoto

The Sokoto State Hisbah Board has arrested 16 men and women during a raid on three hotels in Sokoto metropolis as part of its ongoing moral enforcement campaign tagged “Operation Tsaftace Birnin Shehu.”

The operation was led by the Acting Commander of the Board, Imam Surajo Abubakar, and targeted Pinnacle Hotel, Duniya Hotel, and Ifeoma Hotel.

The raid comes amid a series of measures introduced by the Board ahead of and during the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations to enforce what it describes as Islamic moral standards across the state.

Earlier, the Hisbah Board announced a ban on Sallah celebrations held in venues where men and women freely mix without adherence to Islamic guidelines.

It also prohibited hotels and guest houses from allocating rooms to minors and suspended the practice of offering “short-time” lodging services.

According to the Board, the restrictions are aimed at promoting moral discipline, safeguarding Islamic values, and curbing activities considered contrary to societal norms during the festive period.

The Board warned hotel operators, managers of relaxation centres, and other business owners to comply with the directives or face sanctions.

Meanwhile, the Director-General of the Sokoto State Hisbah Board, Alhaji Nura Attajiri, disclosed that several young women allegedly involved in commercial sex work in parts of Kwannawa, on the outskirts of Sokoto city, had been apprehended and repatriated to their home communities in Zamfara, Kano, Katsina, and other states.

Attajiri said the action formed part of the ongoing operation to “sanitize” Sokoto city and its environs.

“We will not relent until we rid the city of anti-social and anti-Islamic activities,” he stated.

The Hisbah Board has intensified enforcement activities in recent weeks as part of its broader campaign to uphold moral and religious standards across the state.