Veteran Nigerian musician, Daddy Showkey, has criticised Niger State Governor, Umaru Bago, for his earlier order directing security officers to arrest and shave the hair of men wearing dreadlocks in the state.
In a video that has since gone viral, Daddy Showkey let down his famous floor-length dreadlocks and addressed the governor directly.
“I wanted to come to Minna, but with this your talk, make una hold una state,” he said, referring to the capital city of Niger State. He also mocked the governor’s appearance, saying, “If you say people with dreadlocks should barb their hair, then go and shave your beards too.”
Governor Bago had on Tuesday told security agents to arrest and shave the hair of anyone seen with dreadlocks, linking the hairstyle to cultism and criminal activities in Minna.
“Rascality in Minna—anybody that you find with dreadlock, arrest him and barb his hair. From this moment, it’s fire for fire,” Bago had declared. He also warned that any building harbouring criminals or drug dealers would be demolished.
The governor further announced a curfew on commercial motorcycles and tricycles, banning their movement from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m., all in a bid to tackle rising violence in the state.
However, the directive faced strong backlash from Nigerians on social media, civil rights activists, and entertainers like Daddy Showkey. Many accused the governor of promoting discrimination and lacking understanding of crime control.
In response to the outrage, Bago reversed the dreadlocks order on Wednesday, saying his comments were misunderstood.
“We don’t have a problem with dreadlocks, but we have a problem with the cult here with dreadlocks. So, if you have dreadlocks and you have business, please come to Niger State,” he explained during an event in Minna.
He described the backlash as “media propaganda” and said his target was only criminal groups using dreadlocks as cult symbols.
“We are only driving that cult that is becoming a menace in Niger State,” Bago added.
Despite the clarification, Daddy Showkey and other critics have continued to question the fairness and logic of the initial order.
