Thank God Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State has attempted to explain his order for security operatives to force-barb wearers of dreadlocks across the state. Although his explanation did not sound convincing, he did not join the group of politicians who simply leave Nigerians to talk – ‘let them say’.
When the video of Bago’s order to security operatives to arrest people with dreadlocks, cut their hair, and fine them found its way to social media, many Nigerians were rightly shocked. It sounded like something out of a dictatorship manual, not the words of an elected leader in a democracy. According to the governor, Niger State is “no home for criminals”—and somehow, wearing dreadlocks became a crime in his eyes.
WATCH: Niger Governor Bago Makes U-Turn After Public Backlash, Says People With Dreadlocks Doing Business Are Welcome pic.twitter.com/nNUvhh1igy
— Sahara Reporters (@SaharaReporters) April 23, 2025
The backlash was immediate and fierce. Social media platforms boiled over with anger and mockery. Some even advised the governor to start by shaving his own beard if he was so serious about fighting crime through haircuts. Veteran musician Daddy Showkey didn’t hide his disappointment either. The Rastafari Continental Council, RCC Nigeria Ital Yard, in a statement signed by its chairman, HonouRebel Myke Pam, also urged the governor to immediately recant his unguarded and insensitive statement and set the records straight, so as to avoid the looming “war” he has inadvertently set in motion.
ALSO READ: ‘Ga’nu si’: Kwam 1, religious leaders, funerals and social media
“We as Rastafari People are distinctively known as law abiding, patriotic, nonviolent and peaceful messengers of JAH. We are apolitical and nonaligned, and cannot be used as cannon fodders for anybody or group of people’s political chess boards.
“Dreadlocks remains the most ancient of all hair styles and ours is purely spiritual and of course scriptural. The fact that the governor or his advisers and handlers are not versed in the revered historical, spiritual, religious or scriptural essence of dreadlocks is indeed very pitiable and frightening at the same time; especially when you realize that the individual involved is the democratically elected governor of a state, presiding over the lives of millions citizens of the state.
“Sadly, this is the second time we are traveling this unfamiliar path, having taken on a former PRO of Lagos State Police command who made a similar statement about 6 years ago. Like we stated then, it is not all dreadlock wearing people are Rastafari people, yet it is very wrong to profile people merely based on how they look.
“Once again, we implore the governor to do the needful immediately so as to avoid creating unnecessary chaos in our society. We also call on all security apparatchik in Niger State to respect the fundamental, cultural, religious and spiritual rights of all citizens and residents of the state, and avoid being used as human rights abusers instead of their constitutional duties as rights defenders.”
Feeling the heat, Governor Bago later tried to walk back his comments. He claimed people misunderstood him. According to him, the problem wasn’t dreadlocks themselves but some cultists who happen to wear them. He even encouraged businessmen with dreadlocks to come to Niger State, calling the whole uproar “media propaganda.”
Nice try, sir. But no amount of spin can erase what your original order suggested—or the dangers it could unleash.
In a country like Nigeria where the military and law enforcement have often used hairstyles, clothing, and even tattoos as an excuse for harassment and brutality, Bago’s order feels like throwing petrol on an already raging fire.
In the past, young men with dreadlocks or “unusual” looks were routinely profiled, stopped, beaten, or even arrested by soldiers and police. We remember the stories: boys dragged off bikes, slapped in public, or locked up simply because they wore their hair differently. In Lagos, Abuja, and other major cities, military personnel have humiliated countless youths with dreadlocks, assuming they were criminals without any proof.
Governor Bago’s now “clarified” order could easily bring that dark era back—not just in Niger State, but across the north. His words give law enforcement a free ticket to harass innocent people, many of whom simply choose dreadlocks for cultural, religious, or fashion reasons.
Natural hair lovers, Rastafarians, stylists, and even everyday fashionistas could now find themselves on the wrong side of a security operative’s scissors—all thanks to the careless generalization by Bago’s order.
Sadly, Bago’s order isn’t happening in a vacuum. His actions continue a worrying pattern of human rights abuses in northern Nigeria where personal freedoms often take a backseat.
We’ve seen states like Kano establish the Hisbah police—a religious police force—that enforces Islamic moral codes, sometimes violating the rights of non-Muslims in the process. The Hisbah have shut down businesses, raided parties, arrested barbers for giving “un-Islamic” haircuts, and even destroyed crates of alcohol belonging to non-Muslims.
In some parts of Zamfara and Sokoto, forced child marriages, flogging for “immorality,” and restrictions on women’s freedom of movement have also been documented—all under the excuse of “preserving culture.”
Governor Bago’s order fits right into this ugly trend: leaders using morality as a weapon against the people they swore to serve.
If Governor Bago is so determined to police hairstyles, maybe he should just officially invite the Kano Hisbah to open a branch in Minna. After all, they’re experts at moral policing, however questionable their methods may be.
Instead of focusing on fixing security, building roads, improving healthcare, or attracting investors, the governor appears more concerned about who is wearing dreadlocks. It’s laughable if it weren’t so dangerous.
At this point, one can’t help but wonder if the governor has a personal vendetta against dreadlocked individuals. Maybe a dreadlocked guy once snatched his girlfriend, and now he’s trying to fight old heartbreak through executive orders?
Of course, that’s just a joke—but the seriousness of the matter remains: Governor Bago was elected by all Nigerlites, whether their hair is clean-shaven, braided, natural, or locked. His duty is to protect everyone’s rights, not target innocent citizens based on stereotypes and outdated thinking.
If the governor is truly concerned about crime, he should focus on funding the police, improving intelligence gathering, fixing bad roads that criminals use for ambushes, and creating jobs so young people have alternatives to crime.
Criminals don’t wear a uniform hairstyle. Some hide behind neat suits, babaringas and agbadas, others behind government titles. Targeting dreadlocks is lazy, superficial policing—and it will do nothing to solve the real problems facing Niger State.
It is commendable that young Nigerians did not allow this to slide. We must resist this attempt to roll back our freedoms. We must continue to speak out, online and offline, against policies that stigmatize people based on appearance. Today it’s dreadlocks. Tomorrow, it could be braids, tattoos, or beards.
Nigerians deserve leadership that respects personal freedom, understands diversity, and knows that fighting crime requires more than a pair of scissors.
Governor Bago must be reminded: you were elected to govern people with and without dreadlocks. Your seat belongs to all, not a few who fit your preferred “look.”
ALSO READ:Old notes palaver: Open letter to Uncle Mefie
In 2025, we shouldn’t be fighting for the right to wear our hair however we like. Yet here we are. Let’s stay loud, stay proud—and stay locked, if we want to.
