Kano Court Sentences TikTok Creator to One Year in Correctional Facility Over Cross-Dressing Content

KANO — A Magistrate Court in Kano has sentenced popular TikTok content creator Abubakar Usman, known by his online alias Kilina, to one year in a correctional facility over videos deemed to promote cross-dressing and indecent behavior.

The ruling was delivered by Magistrate Hadiza Muhammad Hassan of Court No. 21, who found the entertainer guilty of multiple offences, including promoting vulgar language and violating public morality through his social media content.

The court, however, granted Usman the option of paying a fine of ₦100,000 in lieu of incarceration, along with an additional ₦30,000 as compensation to the Kano State Film Censorship Board. The compensation was described as restitution for “wasting the board’s time” during the course of the case.

According to a local radio programme monitored by Daily Trust, the conviction stems from a case filed by the Kano State Film Censorship Board, which has taken a firm stance against content it views as offensive or culturally inappropriate.

Magistrate Hassan issued a stern warning to Usman, urging him to refrain from creating or disseminating content that violates public decency. She further noted that any future infractions would attract the full weight of the law, without the option of a fine.

The sentencing marks another milestone in the censorship board’s ongoing efforts to regulate digital content in the conservative northern state, particularly as social media continues to influence cultural discourse.