By Adenike Lawal
A magistrate court in Kano has sentenced popular TikTok creator Abubakar Usman, known online as Kilina, to one year in prison for promoting what the court described as immoral conduct through his social media content.
Presiding at Court No 21, Magistrate Hadiza Muhammad Hassan convicted Kilina for consistently portraying cross-dressing characters and using vulgar language in his videos, which the court ruled violated public decency and cultural values.
The court gave him the option of paying a fine of ₦100,000 instead of serving the jail term, and also ordered him to pay ₦30,000 as compensation to the Kano State Film Censorship Board, which brought the complaint.
The compensation was described as restitution for wasting the board’s time.
The ruling followed the presentation of video evidence by the board and a radio broadcast that highlighted Kilina’s controversial content.
Authorities argued that his videos encouraged indecent behavior and promoted cross-dressing, which they said contravened Kano’s moral standards.
In delivering the judgment, Magistrate Hassan warned that any repeat offense would attract a stiffer penalty without the option of a fine.
The case reflects Kano’s increasing crackdown on digital content deemed offensive under the state’s cultural and religious codes.
Kilina’s sentencing adds to a growing list of legal actions against online influencers in the state, where regulation of social media content is tightening.
