The Kano state Hisbah board has condemned the emergence of Shatu Garko as the winner of Miss Nigeria 2021.
The Commandant General of the board, Harun Ibn Sina, told newsmen that participating in the beauty pageant is against the teachings of Islam and the northern culture.
He said her parents would soon be invited to speak on why they allowed her participate in the contest.
“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.“
The holy Qur’an said we should tell our families especially females to cover their bodies entirely because it’s the best thing for their spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing.
“A female Muslim is not allowed to open any part of her body except her face and palms of her hands except for their husbands, children or siblings.“It has come to our notice that our children are now coming out to contest for this immoral act which is not acceptable,” he said.
Shatu had garnered nationwide accolades after emerging as the first hijab-wearing winner of the beauty pageant. However, the Islamic police boss said parents are advised to be very observant of what their children are doing or engaging themselves in.
He said parents of Shatu Garko will soon be invited to be cautioned on what their child did and mull efforts to stop her from contesting in the future.
Who is Shatu Garko
Eighteen-year-old Shatu Garko was on Friday night crowned the 2021 Miss Nigeria at a beauty pageant held amid glamour and glitz in Lagos.
The beauty Queen made history as the first Hijab-wearing model to become Miss Nigeria. While Nicole Ikot emerged as the first runner up and Kasarachi Okoro was the second runner-up in the contest.
Garko hails from Kano State and was the youngest contestant in the competition this year. According to her, She loves riding horses and is passionate about proving that religion and culture are not barriers to following one’s dreams and achieving whatever a person sets out to achieve.
She represented the North West region of Nigeria in the beauty contest.
The young queen beat 17 others to clinch the crown. She succeeded Etsanyi Tukura, a native of Taraba State, winner of the 43rd miss Nigeria beauty pageant in 2019.
About Kano hisbah police
The Kano State Hisbah Corps was established by the state government in 2003 with the institutionalization of formerly local and privately maintained hisbahsecurity units.
Hisbah, which is an Arabic word meaning “accountability”, is an Islamic religious concept that calls for “enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong on every Muslim.”
The Hisbah Corps, which operates under the jurisdiction of a Hisbah Board composed of government officials, secular police officers, and religious leaders, is highly decentralized with local units supervised by committees composed of officials and citizens in the communities in which they operate.
About Miss Nigeria Pageant
Miss Nigeria is an annual pageant showcasing positive attributes of Nigerian women and awarding university scholarships.
The winner portrays exemplary qualities and serves as a role model for young women in the country. The pageant is currently organised by Daily Times.
The current titleholder is 18-year-old hijab model Shatu Garko who represented the north-east. She is the first hijabicontestant alongside pharmacist Halima Abubakar in the pageant’s 64-year history, and the first Muslim winner.
