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| Nigerian TikTokers sentenced to whipping for mocking official | Nigerian TikTokers sentenced to whipping for mocking official |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Two TikTok stars in Nigeria have been sentenced to a whipping and forced to clean the court after they used social media to mock a government official. | |
| Mubarak Isa Muhammed and Muhammed Bula were found guilty of defaming Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of the northern state of Kano. | Mubarak Isa Muhammed and Muhammed Bula were found guilty of defaming Abdullahi Ganduje, governor of the northern state of Kano. |
| The pair's lawyer said they would not challenge the judgement. | The pair's lawyer said they would not challenge the judgement. |
| Nigeria has seen a growing number of social media stars who use comedy to comment on social and political issues. | Nigeria has seen a growing number of social media stars who use comedy to comment on social and political issues. |
| Mubarak Isa Muhammad and Muhammad Bala were arrested last week after posting their video - in which they mocked the governor for alleged land grabbing, corruption and sleeping on the job - to TikTok and Facebook. | |
| Prosecution lawyer Wada Ahmed Wada said the men had defamed the governor and that their action was capable of disturbing public peace. | Prosecution lawyer Wada Ahmed Wada said the men had defamed the governor and that their action was capable of disturbing public peace. |
| They pleaded guilty and asked for leniency, but the judge ordered them to be given 20 lashes each, to pay a fine of 10,000 naira (£20) and to clean the court premises for 30 days. They were also ordered to publicly apologise to Mr Ganduje on social media. | They pleaded guilty and asked for leniency, but the judge ordered them to be given 20 lashes each, to pay a fine of 10,000 naira (£20) and to clean the court premises for 30 days. They were also ordered to publicly apologise to Mr Ganduje on social media. |
| Their lawyer, Bashir Yusuf, told the BBC they would not challenge the judgement, given it was a ''non-custodial'' sentence - meaning those convicted would not be jailed. | Their lawyer, Bashir Yusuf, told the BBC they would not challenge the judgement, given it was a ''non-custodial'' sentence - meaning those convicted would not be jailed. |
| Nigeria has seen a rapid increase in TikTok users in recent years, particularly among young people. | Nigeria has seen a rapid increase in TikTok users in recent years, particularly among young people. |
| These users sometimes mock public figures, including government officials, by clipping images or videos, often to create comedies that attract massive followers to their accounts. | These users sometimes mock public figures, including government officials, by clipping images or videos, often to create comedies that attract massive followers to their accounts. |
| Kano State, a Muslim-majority part of northern Nigeria, is among about a dozen states in the region that practise the Sharia legal system alongside the country's secular laws. Only Muslims can be tried in Sharia courts. | Kano State, a Muslim-majority part of northern Nigeria, is among about a dozen states in the region that practise the Sharia legal system alongside the country's secular laws. Only Muslims can be tried in Sharia courts. |