Nigeria’s Kano State bans opposite sexes from riding in same tricycle

The Sharia Law takes precedence in Kano State as the state government has banned people of the opposite sex from sharing the same ride in commercial tricycles.

This law will be made official in January 2020, revealed Governor Abdullahi Ganduje at the 77^th annual Islamic Vacation Course’s (IVC) closing ceremony.

The program was organised by Zone A of Muslim Society of Nigeria (MSSN) at Bayero University in Kano.

‘A daidaita sahu’ is the name for commercial tricycles in Kano. They first made an appearance in Kano when Ibrahim Shekarau, a former governor introduced them as a means for transportation for women only.

This was as a result of the former governor not enthused about women riding motorcycles. He therefore went on to ban women entirely from riding motorcycles and thought the commercial tricycles were more befitting for women to ride.

Commercial tricycles later became a means of transportation for both sexes after Mr Shekarau’s term of office, a move that the state government seeks to reverse by January 2020.

In a report by Premium Times, the Christian Association of Nigeria was admonished for criticizing Nigeria’s religious freedom laws.

The Sultan of Sokoto, Sa’ad Abubakar lll didn’t agree with the Christian Association’s reaction to United States classifying Nigeria as a nation where religious freedom isn’t guaranteed.

The Kano State government does not intend to hinder religious freedom but rather restore the state’s moral compass.

The State Commissioner for Information, Mohammed Garba said this new law would be in tandem with the Sharia law. It is believed when males and females share a ride in a commercial tricycle, it propagates immorality as they become easily tempted.

Any driver who goes contrary to the law would receive six months suspension, or a fine of N5000 ($14) or both.

The Kano Road Transport Agency is partnering the authorities to ensure all tricycle operators don’t flout Islamic laws in the name of transacting business.