Veteran Nigerian singer Daddy Showkey has been very vocal against the troubling declaration made by Mohammed Umar Bago, the Governor of Niger State, declaring that those found with dreadlocks should be arrested.
This directive made plenty of headlines and has gained a lot of backlash-it is now trending as a video on X (formerly Twitter). The video depicts Governor Bago addressing security operatives at a public event and instructing them to arrest anyone with dreadlocks in the state capital, Minna.
The governor argued that this was to curb “rascality” and return the state to law and order. But many Nigerians are outraged, saying this constitutes discrimination and an affront to personal freedom.
Though Showkey is known for his trademark dreadlocks and clout in the Nigerian music zone, he announced his disappointment on social media. In an emotional video reaction, the singer questioned why dreadlocks were being connected with criminality or insecurity. Why should just anyone be labeled a criminal, he wondered, and why law-abiding citizens should pay for their looks.
“Is dreadlock the cause of insecurity in Nigeria?” asked Showkey, who seemed angry. He noted he had had to cancel a trip to Minna for fear law-enforcement agents would target him for his dreadlocks.
According to the singer, it was just an abatement of concern since the governor was more concerned with persecuting harmless citizens rather than really doing something to address urgent security concerns in the country.
Fans and civil rights activists condemned the order along with Daddy Showkey, suggesting that it was the governor’s job to limit his time on poverty, banditry, and unemployment, rather than pick on individuals over personal tastes.
The firestorm has continued to heighten online, with demands for the governor to rescind the directive and expressly declare his position to avoid the abuse of power by officers.
