Kano Court Orders TikTok Stars Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda to Marry Over ‘Indecent’ Videos

A Magistrate Court in Kano has ordered two popular TikTok creators, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda, to marry within 60 days following viral videos deemed “indecent” by the Kano State Films and Video Censorship Board.

The ruling, delivered on Monday by Magistrate Halima Wali, directs the Kano State Hisbah Board to oversee the marriage process and warns that failure to comply within the stipulated period would amount to contempt of court. The chairman of the Censorship Board has also been instructed to supervise the order’s implementation.

The decision comes weeks after both creators were arraigned for producing and sharing videos showing romantic displays that officials said violated the moral and religious codes governing public conduct in Kano. The board argued that the clips breached state laws prohibiting the creation and distribution of sexually suggestive material.

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

Mai Wushirya had earlier been remanded in a correctional centre on accusations of promoting immoral behaviour through his skits, while Yar Guda was questioned by the board’s enforcement team before the case was brought to court.

The court’s decision has sparked mixed reactions among Kano residents. Some applauded the ruling as a step toward preserving cultural and religious values, while others criticised it as an infringement on personal freedom.

Aliyu Salisu, a resident of Kofar Nassarawa, described the order as “a wise decision” that promotes modesty, saying, “If they have gone this far publicly, it is only right they are joined in marriage.”

However, Zainab Ahmed of Hotoro disagreed, calling the ruling “an overreach of authority.” She argued that morality cannot be enforced through compulsion, suggesting that the government could have opted for penalties instead.

As of press time, neither Mai Wushirya nor Yar Guda has commented publicly on the court’s directive.