Kano Sharia police cancel the court-ordered wedding of TikTokers Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda after he admits lying to evade prosecution

The Sharia-enforcing police in Kano State, northern Nigeria, have cancelled a controversial court-ordered wedding between two TikTok celebrities after the groom confessed he lied about being in love to escape punishment for an “indecent” viral video.

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The pair, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda, had drawn public outrage after videos of them cuddling and kissing surfaced on TikTok — behaviour deemed inappropriate in Kano’s conservative Muslim society.

Following the backlash, a Sharia magistrate court ordered the Hisbah Corps—Kano’s Islamic moral police—to solemnise the marriage within 60 days, arguing that the act would serve as a corrective measure for their public misconduct.

However, Hisbah’s Director-General, Abba Sufi, told AFP on Sunday that the wedding had been cancelled after Mai Wushirya admitted he had lied in court 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. With this development, we have cancelled the wedding and will refer the matter back to the judge for appropriate action,” Sufi said.

According to Hisbah, Mai Wushirya’s parents had initially consented to the marriage, and the Kano State Government had even agreed to buy a house for the couple to meet the bride’s condition.

The court’s decision to force the marriage had earlier sparked nationwide condemnation, with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) describing it as a violation of fundamental human rights.

“No court has the power to compel any person to marry another,” said Mazi Afam Osigwe, head of the NBA.

Kano is among 12 northern Nigerian states practising Sharia law alongside common law, where moral policing remains active.

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The state is also home to Kannywood, a booming Hausa-language film industry that has increasingly clashed with Sharia authorities over content deemed “indecent.” Several TikTok creators and entertainers have been arrested or jailed for similar offences in recent years.