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Daniel Adaji
Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has clarified that his administration’s recent security directives do not target individuals with dreadlocks, especially those engaged in legitimate businesses.
“We don’t have a problem with dreadlocks, but we have a problem with the cult here with dreadlocks,” Bago said on Wednesday in Minna, the state capital, during the declaration of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Airport as an alternative to the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
“If you have dreadlocks and you have business, please come to Niger State,” he said.
His clarification follows a wave of backlash over comments he made on Tuesday, where he had ordered the arrest and forced haircut of individuals wearing dreadlocks.
“Rascality in Minna, anybody that you find with a dreadlock—arrest him and barb his hair,” Bago had told security agencies and traditional leaders during a security stakeholders’ meeting at the Government House.
That remark quickly drew criticism from Nigerians, particularly on social media, who accused the governor of targeting innocent citizens and promoting profiling based on appearance.
Bago, however, insisted that his administration is only targeting criminal elements who use dreadlocks and cult symbols to blend into communities and evade law enforcement.
“All that is media propaganda,” he said. “We are only driving that cult that is becoming a menace in Niger State.”
The governor’s tough rhetoric came amid renewed efforts to tackle insecurity in the state. He declared a state of emergency on security in April 2024, after Niger State recorded more than 1,500 deaths and over 1,000 kidnappings across 16 local government areas within 18 months.
As part of sweeping security measures, Bago imposed a 12-hour curfew on commercial motorcycles and tricycles, restricting their movement from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., except for medical emergencies. He also warned that houses found harbouring criminals or drug dealers would be demolished.
“Niger State is not for useless people. Any house found harbouring criminals should be demolished,” he said, instructing traditional leaders to maintain accurate records of residents in their areas.
Although dreadlocks have cultural, religious, and fashion significance for many Nigerians, Bago argued that in Niger State, the hairstyle has become a marker for cultists and criminal gangs.
“From this moment it’s fire-for-fire,” Bago warned. “Any attempt to harass any security officer is an attempt to harass the government of Niger State.”
Despite the controversy, the governor’s message on Wednesday attempted to reassure the public.
“People misconstrued our words,” he said, he said, stressing, “We are not after lawful citizens. We are after those hiding behind symbols to commit a crime.”