A magistrate court has ordered two prominent TikTok content makers, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda, to marry within 60 days.
The injunction was issued on Monday by Magistrate Halima Wali after a series of viral videos in which the couple were seen engaging in romantic displays deemed “indecent” by the Kano State Films and Video Censorship Board.
The court’s judgment, which many have described as unique and controversial, directs the Kano State Hisbah Board to enable the marriage of the two social media stars.
Magistrate Wali cautioned that failure to carry out the marriage within the time frame specified would constitute contempt of court.
She also asked the head of the Kano State Films and Video Censorship Board to oversee the marriage order’s execution.
The decision came weeks after the two influencers were accused of creating and disseminating obscene information online.
The videos, which went viral on TikTok and other social media platforms, allegedly depicted amorous encounters between Mai Wushirya and Yar Guda, which the Censorship Board claimed breached the moral and religious norms that govern public conduct in the state.
Officials of the board contended that the clips violated sections of Kano State’s censorship regulations, which restrict the creation and broadcast of sexually suggestive or explicit material.
“Such behavior undermines the values we stand for and sets a dangerous example for the youth,” an official of the board said.
Mai Wushirya had already been placed in a jail facility after police accused him of encouraging immoral activity through his plays. His co-creator, Yar Guda, was also questioned by the board’s enforcement staff before the case was taken to court.
Kano locals have had different reactions to the development. While some hailed the court’s decision as a moral corrective step in line with the state’s Islamic ideals, others contended that it violates human freedom and creates a troubling precedent.
A resident of Kofar Nassarawa, Aliyu Salisu, told reporters that the court’s directive was “a wise decision” that would discourage indecency among youths. “Our religion encourages modesty. If they have gone this far publicly, it is only right they are joined in marriage,” he said.
However, another resident, Zainab Ahmed of Hotoro, disagreed, describing the ruling as “an overreach of authority.
“The government can caution them or penalize them, but forcing marriage is not the solution. Morality should not come through compulsion.” She said,
