The Kano State Hisbah Board has a problem with how increasingly 'seductive' some mannequins look; and has now banned their use by tailors, supermarkets and boutiques.

The Commander-General of the Kano Hisbah board, Sheikh Harun Ibn Sina, said in a statement that the use of mannequins by tailors, supermarkets and others contravenes Islamic doctrine.

He added that the board would embark on a sensitisation campaign aimed at educating members of the public on how Islam frowns at the use of mannequins.

He said after sensitisation, the board would embark on raiding shops to remove the mannequins, describing their use for advert purposes as idolatry.

“We divided Kano into five areas for monitoring and implementation of the ban across the state,” Ibn Sina said.

Sharia law

Kano is one of Nigeria's predominantly Muslim states located in the north of the country, with strict adherence to Sharia law or codes.

Like most states in the predominantly Muslim north, Kano also frowns at the drinking or sale of alcohol in public places, even though it benefits from taxes derived from alcohol sale from federal coffers.

Sharia law is an Islamic system of jurisprudence.

It is a religious law based on the teachings of the Koran and the traditions of the Prophet (Hadith and Sunna).

Sharia prescribes both religious and secular duties and sometimes spells out retributive penalties for lawbreaking.