On Friday the 17th of December 2021, a new Miss Nigeria was discovered and crowned. She goes by the name of Shatu Garko and beat all other contestants into winning the Miss Nigeria pageant on a glorious night.
The 18-year-old beauty happened to be the youngest contestant on the night which took place at the Landmark Centre, Victoria, Island, Lagos. She is now the predecessor to the outgoing queen, Etsanyi Tukura and her first runners-up was Nicole Ikot and second runners-up Kasarachi Okoro.
But it isn’t all joy for Shatu Garko
This Hisbah police, which is a religious police force in Nigeria’s Kano state responsible for the enforcement of Sharia, has invited the parents in to discuss what, according to them, is illegal participation in the competition.
According to the Hisbah Police facebook post “We investigated and confirmed that the girl called Shatu Garko is from Kano State and an indigene of Garko Local Government area of Kano State where Hisbah is also working at.”
“Islamically, it is totally forbidden because it goes against the teachings and practices of Islam. Immorality is practiced and it (beauty pageant) encourages the female gender to be immoral.”
Kano State Hisbah commander Haruna Ibn Sina, who spoke with BBC Hausa, quoted sections of the Quran that say a woman’s beauty should only be seen by her husband, parents, and children. In his words “The beauty of a woman in Islam should only be seen by members of the public “unless it is obvious.”
The power of the Hisbah police in the Kano state is unmatchable. To date, they have banned fashion designers, supermarkets, and boutique owners from using mannequins to display clothes in Kano State.
“It is maganarar haram to talk about the beauty pageant because, first of all, the sanctity of Islam is violated in it. not, that they should be taught not to be ashamed” Sina said “They (Women) should cover themselves with their veils, and do not reveal their private parts except for their husbands, parents or children,”
Garko’s parents will be taken into police custody and likely charged or arrested for allowing their daughter to participate in Miss Nigeria 2021.
“Then they should cover themselves with their veils, and do not reveal their private parts except for their husbands, parents or children,” Sina said.
Shatu Garko is now the 44th Miss Nigeria, and won along the title, a 1 year residency at a luxury apartment, a brand new car, and other brand ambassador opportunities, amongst 21 other finalists.
The new queen Nigeria won N10m, a 1-year residency at a luxury apartment, a brand new car, and other mouth-watering brand ambassadorship opportunities.
In her competition speech, she claimed she was passionate about proving that religion and culture are not barriers to following one’s dreams and achieving whatever a person sets out to achieve. It seems there is a likelyhood that the Hisbah police might just prove her wrong.
Read More Like This On
Nigeria Model Stories Racism & PrejudiceDIRECTION COLLECTION: OUT NOW!
Follow us on Instagram @FashionGHANA_com | Twitter: @fashionGHANA | Facebook: Fashionghana.com
To Submit stories Email: [email protected] or HashTag #FashionGHANA
