The Katsina State Hisbah Board has ordered that New Palace Hotel, be closed down immediately for allegedly lodging underaged girls.
Aminu Usman, the Hisbah commander general in the state, whilst speaking with NAN on Friday, stated that the hotel has, by its action, breached an agreement earlier reached with hoteliers across the state.
Usman elucidated that during the board’s collaborative meeting with hotel managers across the state, there was an agreement that no hotel in the state would accommodate underage children.
“The hotel violated the board’s regulations by allowing underage girls to stay at the premises,” the Hisbah commander said.
“The board discovered that two underage girls were lodged in the same room during a recent inspection, which contravenes the hisbah laws.
“This is the second time such an offence was committed at the New Palace Hotel, inspite of previous warnings by the board and a promise by the hotel’s management to stop such incidents.
“Due to the hotel’s failure to comply with the board’s regulations and meet the stipulated conditions, we have decided to shut it down with immediate effect.
“We remain committed to enforcing reforms and instilling discipline that aligns with the religious and cultural values of the state under the rule of law to ensure lasting peace.”
On June 9, Nigeria’s ministry of women affairs issued a directive inhibiting underage girls from lodging in hotels.
The minister of women affairs, Uju Kennedy-Ohaneye, said the move is part of the precautionary measures to stop human trafficking, particularly of Nigerian girls.
This ban came after over 10 teenage girls trafficked to Ghana were rescued.