Nigerian Court Rules Against Islamic Police in Religious Conversion Case

A Nigerian Federal High Court has ruled that the Hisbah, an Islamic religious police force in Kano State, lacks the authority to arrest individuals for converting from Islam to Christianity. The ruling follows the case of a 22-year-old woman, identified by the pseudonym Sarah, who fled her home in 2025 to escape a forced marriage and subsequently converted to Christianity while under the care of a Christian family, the Abaras.

Following her conversion, Sarah was detained by the Hisbah for four days, during which she reported being beaten and pressured to return to her family. After her release, she relocated to Jos with the help of the Abaras. Her siblings later accused the family of kidnapping. In May 2026, the court declared the Hisbah’s actions a "flagrant violation" of Sarah’s fundamental rights to human dignity and religious freedom, ordering financial compensation for the abuse.

While the court protected Sarah, the Abara family remains involved in an ongoing criminal case regarding the kidnapping allegations. Legal advocates from Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) International, who supported Sarah’s petition, are currently defending the family, arguing that the charges are baseless and that the Hisbah holds no jurisdiction over non-Muslims.