Kano magistrate court sentences TikTok content creator to one year in prison for indecent behaviour and use of cross-dressers in viral video

TikTok content creator jailed Kano as the state cracks down on online content it deems inappropriate. A magistrate court sitting in Kano has sentenced popular social media personality Abubakar Usman Kilina to one year in prison after convicting him of promoting indecent behaviour in a viral TikTok video.

Also read: TikTok star Murja Ibrahim Kunya arrested by EFCC over naira mutilation charges

Presided over by Magistrate Hadiza Muhammad Hassan of Court No. 21, the court handed down the sentence with the option of a ₦100,000 fine.

Kilina was also ordered to pay ₦30,000 as compensation to the Kano State Film Censorship Board, which brought the case against him.

According to a report by Freedom Radio, the court found Kilina guilty of several infractions, including featuring cross-dressers and using offensive language in one of his widely circulated videos.

The court described his actions as a waste of public resources and an affront to societal decency.

During the ruling, Magistrate Hadiza warned Kilina to refrain from creating content that undermines public morality. She stressed that any future violation would attract the full weight of the law without leniency.

“Should he repeat such offences, the court will impose the full sentence without the option of a fine,” she declared.

The case has stirred fresh debate about the limits of freedom of expression, especially in conservative regions like Kano where cultural and religious values shape policy on digital content.

Also read: Nigerian TikToker Oloba Salo accuses Naira Marley of shooting incident

For Kilina, who enjoys a substantial following online, the verdict serves as a sobering reminder of the boundaries creators must navigate in Nigeria’s regulatory environment.