By Joy Yesufu
Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has reversed his controversial order mandating the arrest of individuals with dreadlocks, following widespread criticism from the public, rights groups, and civil society organizations.
Earlier in the week, the governor had directed security operatives to detain and forcibly shave individuals wearing dreadlocks, alleging a link between the hairstyle and rising cult activities and insecurity in Minna, the state capital.
“Rascality in Minna, anybody that you find with a dreadlock, arrest him and barb his hair. From this moment, it is fire for fire,” Bago declared during a security briefing.
He also introduced a 6pm to 6am curfew on commercial motorcycles and tricycles and warned that houses found harboring criminals or drug dealers would be demolished.
However, the statement triggered a wave of backlash online and offline, with critics accusing the governor of discrimination, profiling, and using cosmetic measures to address deep-rooted security issues.
Civil rights advocates argued that hairstyle should not be used as a marker of criminality.
Amid mounting pressure, Governor Bago clarified his stance on Wednesday during an event in Minna, where he announced the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport as an alternative to Abuja’s Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport.
“We read a riot act on hooliganism, and people misconstrued our words. We don’t have a problem with dreadlocks—we have a problem with the cult here with dreadlocks,” he said. “If you have dreadlocks and you’re doing legitimate business, please come to Niger State.”
Bago dismissed the backlash as “media propaganda” and maintained that the enforcement drive targets cult groups and criminal gangs, not law-abiding citizens with unconventional hairstyles.
“We are only driving out that cult that is becoming a menace in Niger State,” he added. “Law-abiding citizens have nothing to fear.”
The governor’s clarification comes as security remains a top concern in Niger State, which has grappled with banditry, youth restiveness, and other violent crimes in recent years.
