The Kano State Hisbah Board has cancelled the planned wedding between two popular TikTok personalities, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda, which had earlier been ordered by a magistrate court following their viral kissing video.
The wedding was meant to be carried out by the Islamic Sharia police within 60 days, as directed by the court, after the video showing the duo cuddling and kissing went viral and was deemed indecent in the conservative Muslim state.
However, the Director-General of Hisbah, Abba Sufi, told AFP on Sunday that the marriage had been called off after Mai Wushirya admitted to lying under oath about being in love with Yar Guda.
“Mai Wushirya told us that he lied to the court that he and Yar Guda were in love to evade prosecution,” Sufi said. “With this development, we have cancelled the wedding and have resolved to refer the matter to the judge who gave the order for appropriate action.”
He added that preparations for the wedding had already begun before the confession. Mai Wushirya’s parents had reportedly given their consent, while Hisbah officials were still trying to reach Yar Guda’s family.
The Kano State Government had also promised to provide a house for the couple as part of arrangements to meet the bride’s condition before the wedding.
The court order had earlier sparked widespread criticism and debate among Nigerians. The Nigerian Bar Association described the directive as unconstitutional.
In a statement, NBA President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, said, “No court has the power to compel any person to marry another person or two persons to mandatorily marry.” He added that the order violated the fundamental rights of both individuals.
Kano, one of Nigeria’s northern states where Sharia law operates alongside common law, has a vibrant entertainment scene known as Kannywood, which produces hundreds of Hausa-language films every month.
In recent years, the Hisbah Board has extended its oversight to social media, arresting several skit makers and influencers for sharing content considered indecent or against Islamic values.
