The Sharia-enforcing police in Nigeria’s northern city of Kano have cancelled a court-ordered wedding between two TikTok celebrities, following revelations that the male influencer lied about being in love with his co-star, officials said on Sunday.
A magistrate court had earlier directed the Kano Hisbah Board to conduct the marriage of Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda within 60 days after a video of them cuddling and kissing went viral, an act deemed “indecent” under Kano’s Islamic moral codes.
Kano is one of twelve predominantly Muslim states in northern Nigeria where Sharia law operates alongside the country’s common law system.
Speaking to AFP, Abba Sufi, Director-General of the Hisbah Board, said the decision to cancel the wedding followed Mai Wushirya’s confession that he had lied to the court to avoid prosecution.
“Mai Wushirya told us that he lied to the court that he and Yar Guda were in love to evade prosecution,” Sufi explained.
“With this development, we have cancelled the wedding and referred the matter back to the judge who issued the order for appropriate action.”
The viral video had sparked outrage among residents of the conservative city, prompting the court to direct the Hisbah to formalize the relationship between the two social media personalities.
Earlier, Hisbah officials had obtained parental consent from Mai Wushirya’s family and were in the process of reaching out to Yar Guda’s relatives. Reports also indicated that the Kano State Government had offered to buy a house for the couple to fulfill one of the bride’s stated conditions for marriage.
The court’s initial decision drew widespread criticism across Nigeria. The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) condemned the ruling, describing it as a violation of personal freedom and fundamental rights.
“No court has the power to compel any person to marry another person or two persons to mandatorily marry,” said Mazi Afam Osigwe, President of the NBA, in a statement.
Kano, home to the Hausa-language film industry Kannywood, has in recent years tightened its censorship on social media activities, particularly on TikTok, where several content creators have been arrested for producing videos considered obscene or contrary to Islamic values.