“No Court Can Compel Two Persons to Marry” — NBA Slams Kano Magistrate Over TikTokers’ Forced Marriage Order

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly condemned a ruling by a Kano magistrate court ordering two popular TikTok creators, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda, to marry each other within 60 days.

The pair were arrested by the Kano State Censorship Board after videos showing them engaging in what the board described as “immoral and demeaning acts” went viral. The clips reportedly showed Wushirya shirtless and displaying affection toward Yar Guda, which the board said violated state laws against obscene and sexually suggestive content.

In her ruling on Monday, Magistrate Halima Wali directed the Hisbah board to oversee the marriage process and warned that failure to comply within the 60-day period would amount to contempt of court.

NBA President Afam Osigwe, in a statement released on Tuesday, denounced the order as unconstitutional and a violation of the individuals’ fundamental rights. He stressed that marriage is a voluntary union and cannot be imposed by the state under any circumstance.

“No court can compel two persons to marry,” Osigwe said, describing the ruling as “a grave misunderstanding of the limits of judicial authority” and “an affront to fundamental rights.” He warned that the decision represents a serious case of judicial overreach and infringes on the constitutional rights to personal liberty, dignity, and privacy.

The NBA called for an immediate review of the decision and urged judicial authorities to prevent similar incidents in the future, warning that such rulings erode public trust in the judiciary.

“It is indeed unconstitutional and therefore unlawful for any court to purport to have power to make such an order,” the association stated. “Marriage, by its very nature, is a voluntary union between consenting adults. It cannot, under any circumstance, be imposed as punishment, moral correction, or judicial remedy.”

The NBA emphasized that courts must remain defenders of justice and constitutional rights, not instruments for enforcing social or moral conformity. It directed its Citizens’ Liberties Committee and Women’s Forum to monitor the case to ensure that the rule of law is upheld.

“No person should ever be coerced, directly or indirectly, into marriage by any institution of state, including the courts,” the statement concluded.