Last year, Nigerian superstar, Tems, told us that “crazy tings are happening. If you need somebody’s craze, you fit chop somebody’s craze”.
Well, a couple of Nigerian TikTokers have sadly experienced some of that craze first hand in the harshest possible way. As you read this, take note because it might be you next.
What did they do?
The two characters in this story are Mubarak Isa Muhammed and Muhammed Bula, Tiktokers from Kano State. According to the BBC, they were arrested last week by state authorities for something quite interesting.
Their offense? Posting a video to Tiktok and Facebook in which they accused the Kano State governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, of corruption, sleeping on the job, and land grabbing.
It was more than enough to get the duo grabbed and charged to a magistrate court.
The court eventually found them guilty of defaming Ganduje. The wages of their sins included a fine of ₦10,000 each, an order to sweep the court premises for 30 days and the icing on the cake, 20 lashes each of the whip.
Is this the first time such allegations are coming up?
The simple answer is no.
Ganduje himself has referenced some of these allegations in the past and the nature of this punishment may suggest that a message was being sent. The sleeping allegations for example have dogged him for quite some time.
In 2017, after photos of him sleeping at public functions emerged, he said they were the work of enemies out to get him. He explained that he doesn’t sleep at events
In recent years, Ganduje has had public gbas gbos with former Kano governor and current presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso who accused him of land grabbing and the destruction of historical monuments in the state.
And the big one — corruption. In 2017, an exclusive footage by The Daily Nigerian went viral, showing Ganduje on camera receiving bribes from a contractor. Not that it mattered anyway as he narrowly won re-election in 2019.
Could you be next?
Well, it depends. The judgment was passed by a Sharia court. 12 out of Nigeria’s 36 states adopt Sharia law, and they’re all in the North.
So if you plan to call out a Nigerian government official on TikTok and get away with it, you know where not to do it. And if you still want to take the chance all the same, we’re obligated to remind you of Tems’ lyrics from earlier.
