A 26-year-old man in Nigeria was recently arrested by the Islamic police known as Hisbah for trying to sell himself to anyone who would pay the 20 million Nigerian nara ($49,000) fee.
Aliyu Na Idris first made national news headlines at the end of October, when he was spotted walking through the city of Karo with a cardboard sign that read “this man is for sale, 20,000,000N”. At the time, the 26-year-old man, who works as a tailor, told news reporters that he had first tried selling himself in the city of Kaduna, but couldn’t find a buyer, so he moved to Karo. He also explained that he had resorted to selling himself because of what he called poverty, claiming that he planned to give most of the money to his parents and keep the rest for daily expenses.
Photo: Aliyu Na Idris/Facebook
“The decision to sell myself was due to poverty,” Aliyu said. “I plan to give my parents 10 million naira when I eventually get a buyer, pay five million naira as tax to the government, give two million naira to anyone who helped me get a buyer, and keep the remaining for daily upkeep.”
It’s unclear what selling himself actually entailed, but the 26-year-old said he had found a few interested parties, only they didn’t agree to his requested 20-million-nara fee. Sadly, he couldn’t go through with his plan, as after news of his intentions went viral on social media he was picked up by a Hisbah brigade for breaking the rules of Islam.
“Yes we arrested him on Tuesday and he spent the night with us. What he did is forbidden in Islam, you can’t try to sell yourself no matter your condition or situation,” Hisbah Commander, Harun Ibn Sina, told the BBC.
Aliyu Na Idris’ arrest sparked outrage online, with many people calling for his release, claiming that his apprehension by the Islamic police was unnecessary and that some counseling would have been much more appropriate.
The young tailor was released the day after he was arrested and told local reporters that he was not mistreated in any way by the Hisbah, and that the Islamic police only preached the word of God and gave him advice.
