A magistrate court in Kano has remanded popular TikTok content creator Ashiru Idris, popularly known as Mai Wushirya, to a correctional centre for two weeks over allegations of posting indecent videos involving a dwarf woman. The court order was issued by Magistrate Halima Wali, pending further hearing on the charges.
The controversy began when videos surfaced online showing Mai Wushirya shirtless and engaging in acts described by the Kano State Censorship Board as immoral and demeaning with the woman in question. The board asserts that the clips violated Kano State laws which prohibit the production, posting, or circulation of sexually suggestive or obscene content.
Officials from the Kano State Censorship Board confirmed that before arraigning Mai Wushirya, they attempted to get his cooperation in locating the woman featured in the videos, but he refused. The court has since ordered that the woman also appear before the next hearing, and investigations suggest she may have fled to Zamfara State. Efforts are ongoing to track her down to bring her back for trial alongside Mai Wushirya.
The case reflects the intensified crackdown by Kano State authorities on social media influencers and content creators accused of promoting immorality or breaching censorship regulations. Several other TikTokers, skit makers, and musicians have been arrested or sanctioned recently in the state for similar reasons.
The next hearing in the case is scheduled after the two-week remand period, where the court will determine the subsequent proceedings regarding both Mai Wushirya and the woman involved. This development has sparked discussions on freedom of expression versus cultural and legal limits in Northern Nigeria.