THE Traditional Worshippers Association of Nigeria (TWAN) on Wednesday kicked against the new dress code approved for women of the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) by the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Usman Baba.
TWAN, in a statement jointly issued by its Oyo State chairman, Adefabi Dasola Fadiran and secretary, Fakayode Fayemi, described the move as an open attempt to Islamise Nigeria.
The group noted that there were more pressing security issues facing the country that should be given urgent attention.
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“Presently Nigeria is battling a security crisis, the morale of our security men is down and same goes for their welfare, we believe these are the issues Nigeria should be concerned with and not the issue of hijab, our government has lost focus, it is so pathetic,” the group said in the statement.
The association called on both the president and the IGP to reverse the decision so as to stop its members in the police from wearing their wrist and ankle beads and other traditional religious adornments on their uniforms.
The group warned that the development was capable of causing discord among different faiths in the country.
Reactions have continued to trail the introduction of the new dress code.
Force Acting Public Relations Officer Olumuyiwa Adejobi had explained that the new dress code, unveiled during the IGP’s meeting with strategic police managers on March 10, would permit female police officers to wear stud earrings and headscarves under their berets or peak caps as the case may be while in uniform.
Adejobi further explained that the dress code was optional.
According to him, the dress code was introduced in line with international best practices to address the growing concern for gender mainstreaming and respect for culture and diversity.
A Lagos-based Human Rights Lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa, described the development as illegal and unconstitutional.
He said the decision should be revised because it contradicted the letters of the 1999 Constitution.
Adegboruwa noted that the religion of public officers, including members of the security agencies, should be a private matter, stressing that the IGP cannot use the platform of his office to enforce religion.
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If reverend sisters or brothers start enlisting into police, will they allow them wear cascots or headscarves too? They will not allow them, or if they say they will allow them too, then by the time we get to know Jack Robinson, d police force will look like Mumu force full of all kinds of silly looking uniforms hardly looking serious anymore. Allowing religious expressions in a secular police system is stupid n unprofessional, bcus police system is even older than islam, and so above Islam! It will mean an accepted defeat of secularism of police system by religions, and this is not acceptable. Better form another system called religious police system where constables can wear all their religious regalias as part of discouraging dysfunctional attitudes that pollute d country.