TikTok stars who allegedly mocked a government official in Nigeria have been sentenced to be whipped 20 times under Sharia Law.
Mubarak Isa Muhammed and Muhammed Bula allegedly insulted Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of the northern state of Kano, where the Sharia legal system is practised alongside the country’s secular laws.
Their video, in which they allegedly mocked Ganduje for alleged land grabbing, corruption and sleeping on the job, was posted last week.
They posted the clip on TikTok and Facebook and Muhammad, who is known as Unique Pikin online, was arrested along with Mr Bula
Their action was ‘capable of disturbing public peace’ according to prosecution lawyer Wada Ahmed Wada, who said they had defamed the governor.
Both men pleaded guilty and asked the judge for leniency. However, the judge ordered them to be given 20 lashes each, pay a fine of 10,000 naira (£20) and clean the court for 30 days.
They also had to apologise to Mr Ganduje on social media for their actions.
In Kano state, only Muslims are sentenced in Sharia court. But it is a state, among 12 others, which practises Sharia law among secular laws, as it is a Muslim-majority area.