Hisbah in Jos North: A Dangerous Step Backward for Peace and Progress –By Muhammad Bashir Abdulhafiz

I write as a young Nigerian who loves this country, a devoted Muslim who believes in the beauty of my faith, but also a patriotic citizen who understands that Nigeria is a secular state governed by one Constitution, one legal system, and one legitimate authority. I write as someone who knows that Jos North is not an Islamic society, but it is a liberal and a diverse community where people of different faiths have lived, worked, and worshipped side by side for generations. That is why I must speak out against the recent attempt to establish a Hisbah group in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State. This development is not only unconstitutional, but also dangerously reckless. It threatens to undo years of painstaking peacebuilding in a community that has known too much bloodshed.

Let us begin with the law. Section 10 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria clearly states that ‘The Government of the Federation or of a State shall not adopt any religion as State Religion’. Nigeria is a secular state. No religion whether Islam, Christianity, or any other has the right to establish a parallel enforcement system that imposes its moral codes on citizens who do not subscribe to that faith. Hisbah, as an institution, is an Islamic religious police force tasked with enforcing Shari’a based moral codes. In states where it operates, it has taken on roles that include settling disputes, arresting violators of Shari’a regulations, and enforcing codes on dress, alcohol consumption, and gender relations. These functions are fundamentally incompatible with Nigeria’s secular Constitution.

Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang was right when he declared the activities of any group operating as Hisbah in Jos North ‘illegal, unauthorised and unacceptable’. As he rightly stated, ‘No individual or group has the authority to appoint itself the government of Plateau State. The responsibility for enforcing the law belongs to duly constituted authorities acting within the law’.

Jos North is not Kano. It is not Zamfara. It is not Sokoto. Jos North is a liberal society, a place where Muslims and Christians have coexisted for decades, despite the challenges. But that coexistence has been fragile, and the scars of past violence remain fresh. Since 2001, Plateau State has been plagued by ethno-religious crises that have claimed thousands of lives and displaced countless families. The 2001 crisis, which erupted in Jos North, was triggered by tensions that quickly assumed a religious character and spread across the state. Just this year, in March 2026, the Angwan Rukuba community in Jos North was attacked, leaving about 28 people dead.

These attacks sit within a long running cycle of violence driven by a toxic mix of ethnic tensions and religious fault lines. The city of Jos sits on a symbolic frontier between the predominantly Muslim north and the Christian south. Markets once shared by faiths are now sectarian. This is the fragile reality we live in. To introduce Hisbah into this environment is to pour petrol on a fire that is still smouldering. It sends a message that one religion is being privileged over others. It tells our Christian neighbours that their faith and their way of life are not respected. It tells our non-Muslim brothers and sisters that they are second class citizens in their own community.

Look at what has happened in states where Hisbah operates. In Kano, Hisbah officials have been accused of random arrests, harassment, destruction of property, and restrictions on personal freedoms. They have stormed hotels and event centres, arresting youths accused of violating moral codes. Critics argue that Hisbah enforcement is often arbitrary, lacks due process, and creates an atmosphere of fear while violating personal liberties.

Just recently, a Federal High Court ruled that Kano State’s Hisbah religious police had no authority to arrest a young woman over her conversion from Islam to Christianity, calling their actions a ‘flagrant violation’ of her right to human dignity and freedom of religion. Another court barred Hisbah from arresting a 22 year old lady who rejected a forced marriage and converted to Christianity. These are not isolated incidents, they are patterns of abuse that emerge when religious police are given unchecked power.

Do we want this in Jos North? Do we want a situation where young people are arrested for how they dress? Where women are harassed for exercising their freedoms? Where non-Muslims are intimidated for practising their faith? Do we want our children to grow up in an atmosphere of fear and division? The establishment of Hisbah in Jos North poses an existential threat to the peace and progress of Plateau State. Below are the reasons:
First, it undermines the rule of law. When a self appointed group assumes the powers of law enforcement, it creates a parallel authority that answers to no one. This is not just illegal, but it is a direct assault on the institutions that hold our society together.

Second, it deepens religious divisions. Plateau State has worked tirelessly to rebuild trust between communities. Interfaith initiatives, peacebuilding agencies, and community dialogues have helped to heal wounds. Hisbah threatens to undo all of this progress by institutionalising religious discrimination.

Third, it invites retaliation. If Muslims can establish a religious police force, what stops Christians from demanding the same? What stops other groups from forming their own vigilante enforcement bodies? This is a recipe for chaos, not order.

Fourth, it drives away investment and development. No business wants to invest in a place where religious tensions are high and the rule of law is uncertain. The economic consequences of instability are devastating. Jobs will be lost, opportunities will be missed, and futures will be destroyed.

As a Muslim, I believe in the beauty and truth of my faith. But I also believe that faith cannot be imposed by force. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) taught that ‘There is no compulsion in religion’. The Quran reminds us that the truth is clear from error, and that every person has the right to choose their own path. If we want to address the challenges facing our community (Drug abuse, crime, moral decay e.t.c), we must do so through legitimate and constitutional means. We must strengthen our police forces, invest in education, create economic opportunities, and build institutions that serve all citizens equally. We must work together across religious lines, not retreat into our separate corners.

Governor Mutfwang has shown wisdom and courage by declaring Hisbah activities illegal. He has affirmed that ‘Plateau State has a proud tradition of peaceful coexistence among people of different faiths, ethnicities and backgrounds’. He has promised to protect every resident’s right ‘to live, worship, work, conduct lawful business and go about their daily activities without intimidation or interference from any self appointed authority’. Now it is our turn as citizens, as community leaders, and as people of faith to stand with him. We must reject any attempt to divide us along religious lines. We must defend our Constitution and our secular state. We must choose peace over conflict, unity over division, and progress over stagnation.

I am proud to be a Muslim. I am proud to be a Nigerian. And I am proud to call Plateau State my home. But I will never support any policy or group that threatens the peace and unity of this great state. The establishment of Hisbah in Jos North is unconstitutional, divisive, and dangerous. It has no place in our liberal, and diverse society. It threatens everything we have worked so hard to build. It is a step backward toward the dark days of violence and mistrust that we have fought so hard to leave behind.

Let us choose a different path. Let us choose the path of law, of peace, and of shared prosperity. Let us show the world that in Plateau State, people of different faiths can live together in harmony and mutual respect. That is the Nigeria I believe in. That is the Plateau I will continue to fight for.

Muhammad Bashir Abdulhafiz wrote from Jos, and can be reached via abdulhafizmuhammad81@gmail.com instantly.