Personnel of the Nigeria Police Force stationed along the Minna-Paiko road in Pago, Niger State, have been accused of assaulting, forcibly shaving, and extorting money from a group of photographers traveling from Abuja to Minna over their hairstyles.
The incident, which has sparked outrage online, was captured in a video obtained by newsmen, where one of the victims narrated how their journey for a photography assignment turned violent after police officers stopped their vehicle at a checkpoint.
According to the victim, the officers ordered them out of their car, removed their caps to inspect their hairstyles, and singled out two of them — one with dreadlocks and another with a punk haircut. Despite attempts to explain they were visitors from Abuja on a work trip, the officers insisted on enforcing Governor Umar Bago’s controversial directive targeting unconventional hairstyles in the state.
“I approached the officers and pleaded, explaining that we were just coming for a job and would be heading back to Abuja, but they refused to listen,” the victim recounted.
He described how the officers dragged his colleagues into the bush and began assaulting them, insisting their hair must be cut in line with what they claimed was a standing order from the governor. When he tried to intervene, the policemen reportedly turned on him, beating him severely and injuring his back.
The victims were then forced to pay bribes amounting to N4,000 through both bank transfer and cash before being released. Their hair was cut against their will before they were allowed to continue their journey.
This incident comes amid public criticism of Governor Umar Bago’s earlier directive mandating the arrest and shaving of anyone found with dreadlocks in the state — a policy rights groups have condemned as discriminatory and prone to abuse.
While the governor has since issued clarifications, distancing his administration from arbitrary arrests and brutality, it appears some security personnel have continued to exploit the directive for personal gain.
Efforts to reach Wasiu Abiodun, the Police Public Relations Officer for Niger State Command, for a statement on the matter were unsuccessful, as calls and messages to his phone went unanswered at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, human rights advocates have called for an immediate investigation into the incident and demanded justice for the victims, warning against further human rights violations under the guise of policy enforcement.
