Tension has escalated in Niger State following accusations against police officers stationed at checkpoints in Minna for extorting money from travelers and forcibly cutting their dreadlocks, despite Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago’s earlier clarification that the directive was intended only for criminal elements, not law-abiding visitors.
Wisdom Jonathan, a photographer traveling with two colleagues, recounted a distressing encounter at the Pogo checkpoint while entering the state. Jonathan claimed that his colleagues, who wore dreadlocks, had their hair forcibly cut by the police, and they were fined N2,000 each. When Jonathan protested the treatment, he alleged that the officers assaulted him with a fan belt, accusing him of hindering their work.
Jonathan's account has sparked concern over the potential abuse of the state's controversial directive, raising questions about its enforcement and the apparent violation of human rights. According to him, after refusing to comply with the officers’ demands, his colleagues were taken to a secluded area where one was made to transfer N2,000 via an Opay account, while the other paid the fine in cash.
In response to the incident, the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, assured that an investigation would be conducted to verify the claims and hold the responsible officers accountable.
Meanwhile, Niger State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Honorable Binta Mamman, reiterated that the government’s stance on dreadlocks is a targeted approach aimed at curbing the influence of youth groups associated with criminal activities. Mamman clarified that the directive specifically targets individuals with a distinct hairstyle, where the front of their heads is adorned with dreadlocks while the back remains shaved, a style allegedly linked to certain groups engaging in unlawful activities.
Mamman emphasized that the government’s approach is preventive and rooted in intelligence reports, aimed at dismantling the spread of such groups before they become entrenched in the state. However, no mention was made of the fines being collected by police officers, which Jonathan and others have reported. This has raised further concerns about the effectiveness and fairness of the policy.
