On Thursday, an Upper Shari’a Court in Kano ordered that Murja Kunya, a popular Kano Tiktok skit maker, be remanded in a correctional facility over alleged defamation.
Three counts of criminal intimidation, injurious falsehood, and defamation of character are brought against the defendant, who resides in Hotoro Tishama Quarters in Kano.
According to Mr. Lamido Sorondinki, the prosecution’s attorney, the defendant committed the crime on January 29 by posting it to her WhatsApp Status.
He claimed that on the same day, the defendant publicly shared her WhatsApp Status in which she had defamed the reputations of two people, Aisha Najamu and Ashiru Mai-Wushirya.
The prosecutor alleged that the defendant made an injurious statement against the complainants and threatened them in Hausa language. The defendant, however, pleaded not guilty.
According to the prosecutor, the offence contravenes the provisions of sections 391 and 393 of Kano State Shari’a Law.
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The Defence Counsel, Mr. Yasir Umar-Musa, made a bail application pursuant to sections 35 and 36 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, 168 and 172 of Administration of Criminal Justice Law 2019 Kano.
The Presiding Judge, Malam Abdullahi Halliru, ordered the remand of the defendant in a Correctional Center and adjourned the matter until February 16, 2023, for hearing.
Kunya was also arraigned before the Upper Shari’a Court over an alleged breach of public peace and an indecent act.
The prosecutor, Sorondinki told the court that on August 30, 2022, a direct complaint was lodged by Barr Muhd Ali Hamza and seven others at Upper Sharia Court Bichi Kano, to direct the Kano Commissioner of Police to investigate the defendant alongside other TikTokers.
He alleged that between 2021 and 2022 the defendant conspired with Mr 442, Safara’u, Dan Maraya, Amude Booth, Kawu Dan Sarki, Ado Gwanja, Ummi Shakira, Samha Inuwa, and Babiana, all now at large.
“The defendants mimed a video song that violates moral, law, and custom of the people of the state.
“The video was released by Ado Gwanja and Kawu Dan Sarki(now at large) via Tiktok, Instagram.”
The defendant denied committing the offence.
