Popular TikTok content creators, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has expressed serious concern over reports that a Magistrate Court in Kano ordered two popular TikTok personalities, Idris Mai Wushirya and Basira Yar Guda, to formalize their relationship through marriage within 60 days, following a case involving the circulation of an allegedly indecent video.
Describing the ruling as a fundamental breach of constitutional rights, the NBA said the reported decision amounts to a clear overreach of judicial powers and a misunderstanding of the limits placed on courts under Nigerian law.
“This development reflects a grave misunderstanding of the limits of judicial authority under the Nigerian Constitution and constitutes an affront to the fundamental rights of the individuals concerned,” said the President of NBA, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN.
He emphasized that “no court has the power to compel any person to marry another person or two persons to mandatorily marry. It is indeed unconstitutional and therefore unlawful for any court to purport to have power to make such an order.”
The Association stressed that marriage must be a voluntary union and not one imposed by judicial fiat.
“Marriage, by its very nature, is a voluntary union between consenting adults. It cannot, under any circumstance, be imposed as a form of punishment, moral correction, or judicial remedy,” Osigwe stated.
He further warned that such orders, if left unchecked, could erode public confidence in the judiciary and set a dangerous precedent.
“The courts must remain the bastion of justice and protectors of constitutional rights, not instruments for enforcing social conformity or moral compulsion,” he said.
Calling for an urgent review of the case, the NBA urged relevant judicial authorities to investigate the conduct of Magistrate Halima Wali, who reportedly issued the order.
“We therefore call for an immediate review of this decision by Magistrate Halima Wali and urge the relevant judicial authorities to take steps to prevent a recurrence of such unconstitutional orders,” Osigwe said.
To ensure the protection of civil liberties, the NBA has also directed its Citizens’ Liberties Committee and Women’s Forum to monitor the situation.
The statement concluded with a strong reminder: “No person should ever be coerced, directly or indirectly, into marriage by any institution of state, including the courts.”
