Marrakech — A court in Kano, northern Nigeria’s largest city, has ordered the Islamic police to arrange the marriage of two TikTok celebrities after they posted a video deemed “indecent,” according to judicial and police sources who spoke to AFP on Tuesday.
On Monday, a judge directed Kano’s Hisbah, the Islamic morality police, to officially marry the pair within 60 days after they shared clips of themselves kissing, an act considered inappropriate in Kano’s conservative Muslim society.
“The court ordered Hisbah to marry the man and the woman since they are so in love that they display their romance on TikTok,” said Baba-Jibo Ibrahim, the judicial spokesperson for Kano State. “The court instructed that the marriage be celebrated within two months,” he added.
The two TikTokers, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda, who has dwarfism, posted videos showing them hugging and kissing. Wushirya, who has previously faced trouble with authorities over similar videos, was arrested and placed in custody.
A Hisbah official confirmed receiving the court order on Monday and said preparations for the wedding had already begun.
“Although the court stated we must conduct the marriage within 60 days, we are determined to do it as soon as possible,” said Abba Sufi, the director general of Hisbah.
According to him, “the future bride and groom have given their consent.”
The parents of Idris Mai Wushirya were summoned by Hisbah on Monday, where they gave their “explicit consent.” The organization is still working to contact the family of Basira Yar Guda, who lives in Zamfara State, over 300 kilometers away, Sufi added.
Kano is also home to the booming Hausa-language film industry known as Kannywood, which produces more than 200 films a month and reaches audiences across West Africa. In 2022, the local censors’ board, created by religious clerics and authorities to monitor Kannywood, expanded its oversight to include social media.
