The Islamic police in Nigeria’s northern state of Kano have instituted a manhunt for six popular TikTokers, on the basic that they post “indecent and un-Islamic” content on the social media app, according to the police force.
The Kano State Hisbah Corps leader informed the BBC that the TikTok users, who have millions of followers between them, had failed to obey previous orders to tone down the content the type of content they post on TikTok.
These social media stars are under scrutiny and criticisms over behaviour regarded as indecent by some Muslims.
For instance, one sells aphrodisiacs (a stimulant that increases sexual libido), another dances in a way some users have regarded as provocative and one male creator is deemed to talk and behave in an effeminate way on the platform.
Corps leader, Aminu Daurawa said he proposed and had a meeting with the creators on September 2023 and that they had agreed to abide by Islamic guidelines while making and posting videos to their TikTok.
Daurawa has been reportedly upset by what he deemed to be indecent language being used in the videos.
Kano state has a predominantly Muslim population and an Islamic legal system which operates alongside secular law in the state.
“If we get [a hold of them] we won’t be charging them in court just yet. We will rather, make them sign agreements to uphold Islamic values.”
He further explained that if the popular content creators were to be called in for a third time, the Hisbah would take them to court.
“For now the force is trying to track them down. We have no idea where they are at the moment and we are looking for information on where to find them,” Daurawa said.
The Kano State dual legal system applies only to Muslims living in the state.
