KANO, Nigeria – A court in Nigeria’s northern city of Kano has ordered two TikTok celebrities to marry within 60 days after they posted videos of themselves kissing, drawing criticism in the socially conservative region.
The magistrate court issued the unusual ruling Monday, instructing Kano’s Sharia police force, known as the Hisbah, to solemnise the marriage between influencers Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda.
“The magistrate court gave the order for the Hisbah to join the man and the woman in marriage since they are so deeply in love as to make romantic displays on TikTok,” said Baba-Jibo Ibrahim, Kano state’s judicial spokesman.
The controversial videos showing the couple cuddling and kissing had circulated widely on the social media platform, sparking outrage among some residents in Kano, the largest city in Nigeria’s predominantly Muslim north.
Mai Wushirya, who has previously clashed with authorities over his social media content, was arrested and remanded in custody before the court’s decision. Yar Guda went into hiding following the backlash.
Kano state operates under both Sharia law and common law, like eleven other predominantly Muslim states in northern Nigeria where religious courts have significant authority over personal matters.
Abba Sufi, the Hisbah’s director-general, confirmed his organization had received the court order and begun wedding preparations.
“Although the court said we should conduct the marriage within 60 days, we are determined to do it as soon as possible,” Sufi told AFP.
The Hisbah summoned Mai Wushirya’s parents on Monday, where they provided their “explicit consent” for the wedding, according to Sufi. Officials are now working to contact Yar Guda’s family to secure similar approval.
The Kano state government has reportedly agreed to purchase a house for the prospective couple, meeting the bride’s condition that they not live in rented accommodation.
The case highlights increasing tensions between Nigeria’s growing social media culture and traditional religious authorities. Kano is home to “Kannywood,” a local film industry that produces more than 200 Hausa-language films monthly as part of Nigeria’s broader “Nollywood” cinema ecosystem.
Kannywood has long operated under close scrutiny from Muslim clerics and government officials. However, the rise of social media has prompted censorship boards to extend their authority to online platforms, resulting in the arrest and imprisonment of several TikTok creators in recent years.
The unusual court order reflects the complex intersection of traditional Islamic law, modern technology, and youth culture in northern Nigeria, where conservative values often clash with global social media trends.
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