TikTok stars who mocked a government official in Nigeria have been sentenced to 20 floggings under Islamic law.
Mubarak Issa Muhammad and Muhammed Bula supposedly insulted Abdullah Ganduji, the governor of northern Kano state.
A video of them mocking Ganduje over allegations of land grabbing, corruption, and several others, was released last week.
They posted the clip on TikTok and Facebook, and Muhammad, known online as Unique Pikin, was arrested along with Paula.
Prosecuting attorney Wada Ahmed Wada said their behavior “disturbed public peace” and discredited the governor.
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Both pleaded guilty and asked the judge for leniency. However, the judge ordered each to receive 20 lashes, pay a fine of 10,000 naira (£20) and clean the courtroom for 30 days.
They also had to apologize to Ganduje whose actions were supposedly discredited on social media through their controversial video.
In Kano state, only Muslims are tried before the Sharia court. But it is one state, among 12 others, that practices Sharia law under secular laws because it is a Muslim-majority region.
The BBC reported that his lawyer, Bashir Yusuf, said he would not appeal the verdict.
This is because they were sentenced to a “non-custodial” sentence and will not be arrested.
Such content on TikTok has become a trend as social media stars in Nigeria use comedy as a way to comment on social and political issues.
According to some local witnesses, TikTokers amass thousands of followers and sometimes mock public figures and post videos on their accounts with controversial content.
