KANO COURT ORDERS TIKTOK CREATORS TO MARRY WITHIN 60 DAYS OVER VIRAL ‘INDECENT’ VIDEOS

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

A Magistrate Court in Kano State has ordered two popular TikTok content creators, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda, to formalise their relationship through marriage within 60 days, following their viral romantic videos deemed “indecent” by state authorities.

The ruling, delivered on Monday by Magistrate Halima Wali, directs the Kano State Hisbah Board to facilitate the marriage process between the influencers. The court also mandated the chairman of the Kano State Films and Video Censorship Board to supervise its implementation.

Magistrate Wali warned that failure to conduct the marriage within the stipulated period would amount to contempt of court.

The decision comes weeks after the duo were arraigned for allegedly producing and sharing “obscene content” on social media. Their videos, which went viral on TikTok and other platforms, showed affectionate scenes between the pair — content that officials said violated the state’s moral and religious codes.

Officials of the Censorship Board accused the creators of breaching Kano’s censorship laws, which prohibit the production or dissemination of sexually suggestive or explicit content.

“Such behaviour undermines the values we stand for and sets a dangerous example for the youth,” a board official told PUNCH.

Mai Wushirya had earlier been remanded in a correctional facility over accusations of promoting immoral behaviour, while Yar Guda was interrogated before the case was transferred to court.

The court’s ruling has divided public opinion in Kano. Some residents applauded the decision as a moral corrective aligned with the state’s Islamic values.

“Our religion encourages modesty. If they have gone this far publicly, it is only right they are joined in marriage,” said Aliyu Salisu, a resident of Kofar Nassarawa.

Others, however, condemned the order as an overreach. “The government can caution them or penalise them, but forcing marriage is not the solution. Morality should not come through compulsion,” said Zainab Ahmed of Hotoro.

Neither Mai Wushirya nor Yar Guda has publicly commented on the court’s decision as of press time.

The development has reignited debate over the extent of state authority in regulating personal behaviour and online expression in northern Nigeria.