The parents of the 44th Miss Nigeria, Shatu Garko, are expected to be summoned by the Kano State Hisbah Board, popularly known as Sharia Police, for their daughter’s ‘illegal’ involvement in the beauty competition.
Garko, who is 18 years old, is the first hijabi to win the Miss Nigeria contest since it began in 1957.
Hisbah stated that in the Islamic religion, it was permissible for her to compete in any beauty pageant.
“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,” the Hisbah boss, Sheik Ibn Sina, told BBC News Pidgin.
Under the Muslim religion, it was banned to compete in any beauty contest, according to the Hisbah leadership.
Garko was named the 44th Miss Nigeria on Friday, December 17, 2022, in Lagos, after defeating 17 other contestants. She was also the youngest candidate this year, receiving N10 million, a one-year residency in a luxury apartment, a brand new automobile, and opportunity to be a brand ambassador.
