The Kano State Magistrates’ Court on Monday ordered that two skit makers, Mubarak Muhammad, and Nazifi Bala, be given 20 lashes for defaming the character of the state Governor, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, on their Tiktok accounts.
Magistrate Aminu Gabari, in his ruling, also ordered the duo to sweep and wash the toilets on the premises of the magistrates’ court for 30 days.
He further directed that the 20 lashes be administered in public.
“They will receive 20 lashes each, to be administered in the public. They should also sweep and wash the toilets of Justice Aloma Mukthar Court Complex in No-man’s-land,” the judge ruled.
The magistrate also ordered the convicts to pay a fine of N10,000 each for defaming Ganduje and another N10,000 for causing public disturbance.
Senior Magistrate Gabari similarly administered non-custodial terms against the convicts and ordered them to produce a video on social media to tender an apology to the governor.
Recall that the convicts had on Friday, November 4, pleaded guilty to the two counts of defamation and inciting public disturbance slammed against them.
The duo had on their verified Tiktok account defamed Ganduje.
In the video, they referred to Ganduje as a “corrupt politician” who sold every available plot of land in the state.
“This is a chapter that is talking about Ganduje. And who is this Ganduje? He is a husband to an influential woman and a father to an Arabian. And he is also from Kano state. The qualities of this Ganduje are as follows: He is a governor that loves to sleep,” they said.
“But he has become a suspect in the eyes of the people of Kano. To say a few of his qualities and talents, whenever he sees a piece of land in Kano he is definitely going to take his share. To explain this further, it is either he makes it available for sale or sells it off completely, but in the end, something questionable must occur.”
