Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has said that people with dreadlocks are welcome and safe in the state.
He said this as backlash greeted his Tuesday’s declaration that anyone with dreadlocks would be arrested and fined.
According to him, he was misinterpreted, noting on Wednesday that the dreadlocked people he was against were indigenes who were cult members.
He said, “Yesterday we read a riot act on hooliganism and people misunderstood our words for people who have dreadlocks We don’t have a problem with dreadlocks but we have a problem with the cult here with dreadlocks. So, if you have any business and you have dreadlocks, please come to Niger State. All that is media propaganda.”
He had, however, noted on Tuesday: “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. I have given marching orders to security agencies,” he said.
