Governor Umar Bago of Niger State has clarified that people with dreadlocks are welcome in the state, days after ordering their arrest in Minna.
At a security meeting on Tuesday, Bago had told operatives to arrest and shave anyone with dreadlocks. The remarks drew widespread criticism.
But on Wednesday, he said his directive was misunderstood. “We don’t have a problem with dreadlocks—only with cultists hiding under that look,” he said.
He urged investors and residents not to be discouraged, calling the backlash “media propaganda.”
