The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) said it watching with serious concern reports of a Margistrate court in Kano allegedly ordering two popular TikTok content creators, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda, to formalise their relationship through marriage within 60 days following a case arising from the publication of an indecent video.
The NBA, in a statement issued by its president, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, said the development reflects a grave misunderstanding of the limits of judicial authority under the Nigerian Constitution and constitutes an affront to the fundamental rights of the individuals concerned.
“No court has the power to compel any person to marry another persons or two persons to mandatorily marry,” the statement said. “It is indeed unconstitutional and therefore unlawful for any court to purport to have power to make such an order.
“Marriage, by its very nature, is a voluntary union between consenting adults. It cannot, under any circumstance, be imposed as a form of punishment, moral correction, or judicial remedy. No court in Nigeria possesses the constitutional authority to compel two persons to marry, and any attempt to do so violates the rights to personal liberty, dignity of the human person, and privacy as guaranteed under the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“The NBA stresses that such judicial overreach not only infringes on personal freedoms but also undermines public confidence in the judiciary. The courts must remain the bastion of justice and protectors of constitutional rights, not instruments for enforcing social conformity or moral compulsion.
“We therefore call for an immediate review of this decision by Magistrate Halima Wali and urge the relevant judicial authorities to take steps to prevent a recurrence of such unconstitutional orders. The NBA Citizens’ Liberties Committee and Women’s Forum are hereby directed to monitor the situation to ensure that the rule of law prevails.
“No person should ever be coerced, directly or indirectly, into marriage by any institution of state, including the courts.”
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Home > News > Nigerian Court Orders Two TikTokers to Marry After ‘Indecent’ Video
Nigerian Court Orders Two TikTokers to Marry After ‘Indecent’ Video
Kano is one of twelve Nigerian states where Sharia law operates alongside a secular legal system.
Majda BouzaroitabyMajda Bouzaroita Oct, 21, 2025
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Nigerian Court Orders Two TikTokers to Marry After ‘Indecent’ Video
Nigerian Court Orders Two TikTokers to Marry After ‘Indecent’ Video
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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.
