In a country battling real security threats—from Boko Haram to rampant banditry—you would expect leaders to channel their energy toward actionable solutions. Instead, Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago of Niger State has chosen to prioritize a fight against… dreadlocks. Yes, you read that right. He’s ordered security agencies to arrest individuals with dreadlocks or those caught with firearms. While one part of that sentence makes sense, the other is a glaring example of what Nigerians call iberiberism—foolishness in its most unfortunate form.
Let’s start with the obvious: how many bandits or Boko Haram members are walking around with dreadlocks? The men terrorizing Niger State and much of the North wear turbans and camouflage. They hide in the forests, wield sophisticated weapons, and operate with military precision—not with locs on their heads and vibes in their hearts.
So who exactly is this policy targeting? Young Nigerians. Creative Nigerians. Musicians, students, activists, even spiritualists. Dreadlocks have cultural, artistic, and even religious significance in many communities. To criminalize a hairstyle is not only regressive, it’s a distraction from real issues.
Governor Bago’s energy would be better spent strengthening community policing, investing in intelligence-gathering, and improving security infrastructure. His state is one of the worst hit by banditry. Schools have been shut down. Farmers can’t go to their farms. Villages are under siege. And in the face of all that, this is the time he chooses to go after hair?
It begs the question: is this a serious leader, or someone performing leadership like it’s a skit? You don’t stop insurgency with barbershop regulations. You stop it with action, with strategy, with coordination between local and federal forces. You don’t make communities safer by alienating the youth and giving security agencies another excuse for profiling and harassment.
Instead of fighting bandits, he’s waging war against barbers. It’s unserious, it’s lazy, and it’s dangerous.
This is not the time for cosmetic governance. People are dying, schools are closing, and the economy is tanking. If Governor Bago wants to be remembered as a leader and not a meme, he needs to rethink this senseless order and focus on real solutions.
Because at this point, the real threat to Niger State isn’t dreadlocks. It’s leadership locked in ignorance.
By: Godwin Offor
