Ban On Sales Of Alcohol In Borno State Is ‘Talibanization’ By Zulum – HURIWA

Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has accused the Borno state Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum of Islamisation agenda by banning the sales or alcoholic beverages in the state.

HURIWA said that Zulum is ruling the state like a Taliban similar to what obtains in Afghanistan.

HURIWA noted Governor Zulum on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, announced the ban of the sales of alcoholic beverages in the state while inaugurating the reconstituted committee on “revocation of illegal hotels, brothels, shanties, and criminal hideouts and curbing the menace of antisocial vices.

Zulum also reconstituted and re-empowered the committee to purge the state of all forms of criminality and antisocial vices in the Maiduguri metropolis and surrounding environments.

A statement by Emmanuel Onwubiko, national coordinator of HURIWA, described the ban of alcohol in Borno State as “an unnecessary aggression” against the economic interests of alcohol sellers and the egregious violation of the human rights of consumers of alcohol.

HURIWA reminded Governor Zulum that Borno state is a place whereby the natives are not all extremists of Islamists and urged him to stop displaying the “I’m holier than thou” attitudes that is tantamount to driving into poverty and joblessness those whose businesses are the distribution and sales of alcohol.

HURIWA said; “We urge the IGP, the Service Chiefs to stop their armed operatives from implementing this unconstitutional directive by the Borno state Governor because the armed forces are bound by the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria of 1999 as amended.

“We are at a loss how the governor who is an academic professor concluded that the consumption of liquor and alcoholic beverages automatically makes the drinker a terrorist or a criminal just as the we believe that the conclusion by Zulum is preposterous and unproven.

“If someone chooses not to consume alcohol that doesn’t make the person a saint just as drinking alcohol has no scientific association with criminality.

“The demonisation of drinkers of alcohol is totally unjustifiable and ridiculous,” it said.

HURIWA noted Governor Zulum simply embarked on the TALIBANIZATION of the state, stressing that the move is unconstitutional just as the policy violates both the relevant sections against discrimination and declaration of a particular religion as a state religion as spelt out in Sections 42(1) and 10 of the Constitution.