Rights group condemns public whipping of Nigerian TikTok stars

Amnesty International has condemned the sentencing of two TikTok stars in Nigeria’s Kano state for defaming the state governor Abdullahi Ganduje.

The TikTokers, Mubarak Muhammad alias Unique Pikin and Nazifi Muhammad Bala, had pleaded guilty and asked for leniency.

But the judge ordered them to be given 20 lashes each, to pay a fine of 10,000 naira (£20; £17), to clean the court premises for 30 days and to publicly apologize to the state governor on social media.

Amnesty International said the “cruel sentences must be quashed” and that the young TikTok stars “must be immediately and unconditionally released”.