TikTok Dance: Feminist coalition reacts as Kano Hisbah arrests, docks three women
by Adenle Ahmed Abiola · The Eagle OnlineThe Feminist Digital Watch (FemDigital Watch) has condemned the arrest and arraignment of popular TikTok creator Amani Ishaq and two other women, Hauwa Khamis and Sa’adatu Muhammad, over dance videos posted on social media.
The collective, convened by the Redefining Alternative Civic Engagement for Africa (RACE Centre), said the trio were arrested for allegedly contravening public morality and religious guidelines.
They were arraigned before Magistrate Court No. 5, Court Road, Kano.
This was contained in a statement signed by Evelyn Ugbe on behalf of the collective, in Abuja, on Tuesday.
FemDigital Watch said while charges, bail conditions and detention status were still being verified, the incident marks a “troubling escalation in the systemic surveillance and criminalization of women’s creative self-expression in digital spaces.”
According to the group, the targeting of the three women is not isolated enforcement of local ordinances but reflects an entrenched pattern of technology-facilitated, gender-based suppression.
“Across Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, women creators consistently face disproportionate scrutiny, online mobbing, and state-backed censorship for routine digital expression that is widely normalized for men,” the statement said.
The group said weaponization of morality laws to police women’s online participation shrinks civic and creative space for female creators who rely on platforms like TikTok for livelihood, encourages coordinated online abuse, and undermines constitutional rights.
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It said the action conflicts with Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which guarantees freedom of expression and Nigeria’s obligations under the Maputo Protocol.
FemDigital Watch demanded immediate, unhindered access to legal representation and equitable bail terms for the three women and respect for their fundamental human rights without moral prejudice.
It also called on the Kano State Hisbah Board and regulatory authorities to cease arbitrary surveillance, arrest and detention of female content creators exercising their right to peaceful freedom of expression and bodily autonomy online.
The collective said it is documenting state-enforced and tech-facilitated abuses against women and girls and mobilizing legal-defense partners and civil society networks to track proceedings in Kano.
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