Some prospective Muslim corps members posted to Ogun State for the compulsory one-year mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) have related how officials forcefully shaved their beards before they could be allowed for the 2023 Batch A Stream 2 Orientation Course, which began on Wednesday, April 26, across the nation.
The corps members who declined to disclose their identities to avoid sanction, while speaking with Muslim News described the NYSC officials’ action as a disheartening, nauseating and flagrant violation of their fundamental human and religious rights.
The incident happened at the Sagamu, Ogun State orientation camp of the NYSC under the supervision of Mrs. Winifred Ngozi Shokpeka, the State Coordinator.
Without My Beard, I Feel Like A Woman
“On my arrival on Wednesday, they stopped me and were like they want to shave my beard. I asked for what? They said it’s not allowed! I was surprised because I never heard any such thing before. They claimed it was part of the rules and regulations. I asked again, which regulation because I didn’t see anything like that in the NYSC bye-law I read before coming to camp,” one of the prospective corps members told Muslim News.
Speaking further, he said, “They gave me two options, it’s either I comply or go back home. Since I came from a far distance, regrettably, I had to agree. They employed the services of two barbers who charged between N500 to N1000, although I reluctantly paid N300 to have my beard shaved. NYSC is compulsory and I had to comply because I need to undertake my national youth service. It was even at night. I had no other option than to comply, so, they shaved everything”.
The corps member expressed sadness over the incident while describing the growing of beards in Islam as Sunnah (emulating Prophet Muhammad’s (SAW) way of life).
He said, “It is Sunnah of the Prophet (SAW) to keep beard and I am doing so solely for that reason and it has been so for years. I can’t remember when, but over the years. Without my beard, I feel like a woman. But the deed is done already, however, there is a need to put in place measures that prevent any such subsequent occurrence.”
Muslim corpers forced to shave long beards to avoid NYSC eviction #Muslim corps members who keep long beards in accordance with Islamic teaching have been asked to shave it before they could be allowed to join their colleagues for the #NYSC 2023 Batch 'A' II Orientation course. pic.twitter.com/FM0oYXAJXb
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) April 28, 2023
‘In less than two minutes, My 4-year-old beard disappeared’
Another corps member who spoke to Muslim News said that the barber didn’t waste time when he “dipped the blade of the clipper into my beard”, adding, “There was no way I could resist. I was still trying to sit well and ask some questions.”
The corps member expressed shock, saying “I felt disheartened. I would have gone back home if I had an option. They shaved the beard that I have been keeping for over four years in less than two minutes. They took off a part of me. I now feel like a stranger.”
Sensed that some corps members might have found their way into the orientation camp without shaving their beards, the NYSC officials reportedly conducted a check during camp activities, especially during parades.
“They apprehended some people, who might have escaped being searched at the gate, last night (Thursday). They will even check us one by one as we filled out on the parade ground,” another corps member related his ugly incident to Muslim News.
He said, “They were referring corps members to the instruction on the notice board, where they highlighted things prohibited on the campsite.”
According to the information on the notice board, signed by the camp management, Muslim News gathered that it’s NOT ACCEPTABLE for corps members to have dreadlocks, tinted hairs, wear crocs, multiple earrings, and NYSC branded white socks.
@muslimnews_NG gathered that the incident happened at Sagamu, Ogun state orientation camp, as victims complied to the directive, which they said violated their fundamental human rights. It's not even stated in the #NYSC bye law.
Cc: @officialnyscng @NigeriaFMYS @ProfIsaPantami pic.twitter.com/P39jmS2SpA
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) April 28, 2023
“I stood before the notice board and read the instructions several times, I didn’t see where it’s written that a long or short beard should be shaven or scraped! I went back to them (NYSC officials), and they said it was there. I went back and read again, but nothing of such. I even asked someone to interpret the notice. It was the same thing. Eventually, I gave up! I was just tired of the whole situation,” a corps member also narrated his ordeal, adding that, “non-Muslims with beards were also affected.”
NYSC compelled Muslim brothers to shave their beards – MCAN Ogun confirms report
Muslim Corpers Association of Nigeria (MCAN) Ogun State also confirmed the reports that some male Muslim and non-Muslim corps members had their beards forcefully shaved or scraped by barbers employed by the camp officials at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Sagamu, Ogun State.
Speaking with Muslim News, MCAN Amir, Abdul-A’zeez Ishaq said that the story was true, but added that it has been resolved through the intervention of a national body, Muslim Lawyers Association of Nigeria (MULAN) and Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC).
“When we learnt about the matter, we communicated with the national Amir of our organisation and he contacted the NYSC headquarters. Unfortunately, the officials still tried to forcefully shave the beards of Muslim brothers the following day.
“So, when I got information about the latest assault, I called the chairman of MURIC in Ogun State, Alhaji Taofiq and he told me that they’ve communicated with NYSC national headquarters in Abuja and that the issue had been resolved.
“He then told me to notify him of any such occurrence or other forms of intimidation and Islamophobic moves. I also contacted MULAN Ogun State and they told us to write a letter which we did and sent to them. They later told us that the issue had been resolved.”
Discrimination against Muslim brothers in Ogun State, MCAN writes Muslim lawyers
In the letter written to the Ogun State chapter of MULAN on Thursday, April 28, a copy of which was received by Muslim News, the Muslim body for corps members stated, “We are writing to bring to your attention a matter of great concern that has recently come to our notice. It has been reported to us that immoral acts are being carried out in Ogun State Camp by officials in Sagamu who are requesting that Muslim brothers cut their beards before being allowed to enter the camp.
“As Muslims, we believe in the importance of practicing our faith freely and openly. The act of asking Muslim brothers to cut their beards goes against Islam’s basic principles and violates our right to religious freedom. It is deeply concerning that such actions are being taken in a government-run camp, which should be a space for tolerance and inclusion.”
MCAN, in the letter signed by its General Secretary, Fatihu Olalekan Sanusi, with the title, URGENT MATTER: DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES AGAINST MUSLIM BROTHERS IN OGUN STATE CAMP, called on the Muslim lawyers for urgent intervention.
“We call on MULAN to urgently intervene in this matter and ensure that such acts are stopped immediately. We must work together to protect the rights of all Muslims to practice their faith without fear of discrimination or persecution.
“As the Muslim Corper Association of Nigeria, we stand in solidarity with all our Muslim brothers and sisters who are being targeted in this way. We urge MULAN to take swift action to address this issue and to ensure that such acts do not continue in any other camp in Nigeria”, he added.
How MURIC resolved the matter – Prof. Lakin Akintola
The director of MURIC, Prof. Lakin Akintola, spoke with Muslim News on Saturday, about how the matter was resolved.
He said, “About three of them (corps members) sent messages to me in the evening of Thursday, saying those with beards were being disallowed to go into the camp unless they were prepared to shave. I swung into action immediately, because they asked for intervention.
“MURIC has a tradition. We have been advocating for the rights of Muslim corps members’ injustice from inception. First, it was about the hijab. The issue of the beard didn’t come up ab initio. For more than 10 to 12 years now, we have been at it on the issue of Hijab but the NYSC leadership entered into dialogue with us.
“There was even a year we went into the NYSC camp, sat with them and it was resolved. A kind of Hijab that will be used by female Muslim corps members was designed and we all agreed on it. Since then, there hasn’t been much crisis. We have, however, been having isolated cases of hijab infringement and each time it happened, the corps members would contact MURIC or HRAI, and each time they contacted MURIC, I will call the DG and he always responded positively.
“On each occasion, we have resolved those cases through dialogue and there was no need of going to press again to make any noise. That’s exactly what happened on Thursday. We contacted the new DG through a link person, who promised to investigate the matter. 20 to 30 minutes later, he reacted and sent a message to me that the matter had been resolved. I understand that to mean that he had warned the Ogun state Coordinator and assured us that those boys would no longer be required to shave their beards.
“Immediately I received his message, I relaxed, because we have always communicated through that channel and it has always worked! So, yesterday, Friday, nobody came up again with any complaints. When the Amir of MCAN called me yesterday, I confirmed the story to him that it had been resolved. I also shared the message on various platforms MURIC belongs on Whatsapp that the matter had been resolved, as a follow-up to the earlier sent SOS sent by the corps members or friends of those who aren’t directly affected involved”, Prof. Lakin Akintola added.
NYSC denies story, calls it baseless, mischievous
NYSC outrightly debunked the story, calling it misleading, baseless and mischievous, which only emanated as a fictitious imagination of the uninformed writer.
The rejoinder was contained in a statement signed by the Director, of Press and Public Relations of NYSC, Eddy Megwa, fnipr, and posted on all its social media handles, on Saturday, April 29.
“The attention of the Management of National Youth Service Corps has been drawn to a misleading online story with the above caption (referring to Muslim News’ breaking news, with the headline ‘Muslim corpers forced to shave long beards to avoid NYSC eviction’, as posted on social media, including Twitter, on Friday, April 28).”
Muslim corpers forced to shave long beards to avoid NYSC eviction #Muslim corps members who keep long beards in accordance with Islamic teaching have been asked to shave it before they could be allowed to join their colleagues for the #NYSC 2023 Batch 'A' II Orientation course. pic.twitter.com/FM0oYXAJXb
— Muslim News Nigeria (@muslimnews_NG) April 28, 2023
According to NYSC, “To put the records straight, the NYSC from inception till date has its code of conduct which corps members always comply with throughout their service year.
“In addition, there is no iota of truth in the misleading, baseless and mischievous story, which only emanated as a fictitious imagination of the uninformed writer.
“Similarly, since the commencement of the ongoing 2023 Batch ‘A’ Stream Two Orientation Course, no corps member, either Muslim or Christian has been evicted from any of the NYSC Orientation Camps across the country.
“It is, however, worthy to note that the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), under the leadership of Prof. Ishaq Akintola, having confirmed that the story is false appreciated NYSC Management for mentoring Nigerian youths without religious or ethnic sentiments.
Re: Muslim Corps Members Forced To Shave Long Beards To Avoid Eviction https://t.co/879wpqPfvz pic.twitter.com/aLfxXmE5HL
— NYSC NDHQ (@officialnyscng) April 29, 2023
“We, however, want to place on record the effective collaboration recorded with the above body over the years. MURIC is indeed part of NYSC’s success story to date.
“NYSC Management therefore calls on the initiator of the libelous story and other rumour peddlers to stop attributing fake news to the Scheme or be ready for prosecution.
“The Scheme would continue to consolidate on its achievements of the past fifty years and also strive to mentor Nigerian youths towards a successful future,” it added.
