The Niger State Government has shut down a 50-room brothel and 13 beer parlours operating beside the Jumma’at Mosque in Mokwa, citing violations of state regulations and concerns over public decency.
The action followed complaints from religious leaders and worshippers across the state regarding the inappropriate location of the establishments and their potential influence on worshippers and youths in the area.
The enforcement was carried out by the State Liquor Licensing Board as part of a wider crackdown on illegal alcohol vendors and establishments operating in restricted zones across Mokwa, Lavun, and Edati local government areas.
The brothel, located directly adjacent to the Jumma’at Mosque, was reportedly fully occupied and had become a source of persistent nuisance to worshippers.
According to the board, the establishment disrupted both religious activities and communal peace, prompting its immediate closure.
The closure followed a directive from the Director General of the Liquor Licensing Board, Yahaya Halidu, who ordered routine inspections to ensure compliance with liquor regulations across the state.
During the operation, the board’s Executive Director of Operations, Mohammed Hamisu, held discussions with the property owner, a former local government councillor identified as Bitagi, who agreed to discontinue the brothel business.
Bitagi also expressed readiness to sell the property and suggested it could be converted into an extension of the mosque or an Islamiyya school to serve the community.
Meanwhile, the agency advised property owners to refrain from leasing their buildings to individuals involved in such activities, warning that doing so could lead to the forfeiture of their properties.
“The board will continue to rid the state of all illegal and unlicensed beer parlours,” Hamisu stated. “Any attempt to reopen them will attract serious penalties. We also urge the public not to rent out properties for use as brothels or beer parlours, as such actions could lead to property forfeiture.”
