Islamic police in Nigeria's northern Kano state have been deployed to mosques to ensure the safety of lives and property during the holy month of Ramadan.

In a statement on Thursday, the religious police force, known as Hisbah Board, warned that those who engage in societal vices during the sacred month will be punished, local media reported.

“Some of the youths who eat in public during the fasting period will not be spared either,” the commander-general of the board, Harun Ibn-Sina, was quoted as saying.

Mr Ibn-Sina called on Muslims to assist orphans and the needy during the fasting period which started on Thursday.

Hisbah Board enforces Islamic law in Kano, a largely Muslim state.