“No Dreads Allowed”: Governor Bago Declares War on Hairstyles in Minna

 

In a move that has left social media buzzing and barbers sharpening their clippers, Niger State Governor, Umar Bago, has declared a state of emergency—on hairstyles.

During a stakeholders’ security meeting at the Government House on Tuesday, April 22, Bago issued a startling directive: anyone seen sporting dreadlocks in Minna should be arrested, forcibly given a haircut, and fined.

“We will have zero tolerance for rascality. Anybody that you find with dreadlocks, arrest, barb the hair, and fine him. Nobody should carry any kind of haircut inside Minna,” the governor stated, with a firm resolve that left jaws hanging.

Apparently, the governor believes that certain hairstyles are now indicators of criminality—or as he calls it, rascality. And if your hair’s a bit too expressive for the city’s standards, it could cost you more than just a trip to the barber.

Governor Bago didn’t stop at dreadlocks. He also sounded a warning to parents, urging them to rein in their children or risk the government's full-force disciplinary measures.

But while the governor may be wielding scissors as his new tool of reform, the backlash was immediate and fiery. Nigerians took to X (formerly Twitter), slamming the directive as a gross infringement on personal freedom and an unnecessary distraction from real security threats.

Critics are asking: When did hairstyles become a matter of state security? And if hair is now a crime, what’s next—banning beards?

As the nation grapples with bigger issues like insecurity, inflation, and unemployment, many believe this new “war on hair” is misplaced at best, and dictatorial at worst.