Society Editor
By Tolu Adesuwa Igiehon
The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has strongly criticized a recent ruling by a Kano Magistrate Court that ordered two social media content creators to marry each other after being accused of sharing “indecent” videos online.
The court, presided over by Magistrate Halima Wali, directed the Hisbah Board to ensure that the duo — TikTokers Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda — formalize their relationship through marriage, allegedly as a corrective measure for their online conduct. The ruling sparked outrage across social media and legal circles, with many describing it as an abuse of judicial power.
Reacting in a statement issued on Tuesday, NBA President Afam Osigwe (SAN) condemned the judgment as unconstitutional, emphasizing that no court in Nigeria has the authority to compel any individual into marriage. He stated that marriage is a voluntary union between consenting adults, and forcing two people to marry under any guise violates fundamental human rights guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution.
“The decision of the Magistrate Court represents a dangerous overreach of judicial power and an affront to personal liberty and human dignity,” Osigwe said. “Marriage cannot be used as a punishment or moral correction. Such an order has no foundation in Nigerian law.”
The NBA President further called for an urgent review of the ruling, urging the Judicial Service Commission to investigate the conduct of the presiding magistrate. He stressed that judicial officers must always act within the boundaries of the law and uphold citizens’ constitutional freedoms.
The Association’s statement also announced that its Citizens’ Liberties Committee and Women’s Forum would monitor the case to ensure that the affected individuals are not coerced into marriage.
“The courts are guardians of justice, not enforcers of social conformity. No person should ever be compelled — directly or indirectly — to marry another by any institution of state, including the judiciary,” the NBA concluded.
The incident has since sparked widespread debate over judicial ethics, the role of morality in law enforcement, and the growing tension between religious conservatism and individual rights in northern Nigeria.
