Shatu Garko’s victory in Miss Nigeria Pageant lands her parents in trouble with Sharia Police

The Kano State Hisbah Board, a.k.a Sharia Police, has frowned at Shatu Garko’s participation in the just concluded Miss Nigeria Pageant where she came out victorious.

Most worrisome, Hisbah hinted at inviting her parents to answer questions over what they say is their daughter’s ‘illegal participation in a beauty pageant’.

It is noteworthy that the 18-year-old Garko became the first hijabi to win the pageantry since its inception in 1957.

Speaking with BBC Pidgin about Shatu Garko’s victory, Hisbah noted that it was illegal for Shatu Garko to participate in any beauty contest in the Islam religion.

Hisbah said, “We (Hisbah) have confirmed that Shatu Garko is a Muslim from Kano state and her parents come from Garko Local government area. Kano is a sharia state and this is why we would not allow the matter to pass.

“We will invite the parents to talk to them about the actions of their daughter and the fact that what she did is illegal in Islam in case they don’t know so that she would not continue in that path and also stop other girls from copying her.”

Reacting to the story, a Facebook user @Michael Onuoha said, “That lady needs to be evacuated from the north before stories that touches the hearts.”

@Oyenwere Ukeje said, “If I were the parents of Miss Garko, I would refuse to honour the invitation of the hisbah. What Miss Garko did by participating in the beauty pageant is not against the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, which is the grundnorm. The constitution is supreme and Nigeria is practising a constitutional democracy and should be seen doing so. Nigeria is not and cannot be a Taliban country.”