Action has been reportedly taken against a senior commander in Nigeria’s road safety organisation who cut off long hair on female employees.
Andrew Kumapayi, regional commander for the FRSC in the southern Rivers State was filmed taking a pair of scissors to the women’s hair at an inspection parade in the city of Port Harcourt on Monday a move that sparked outrage online.
Photos of the male commander carrying out the punishment were published on the official FRSC Facebook page and but have since been taken down, though the pictures have been shared thousands of times on social media.
The post said that Mr Kumapayi was carrying out a “hair, uniform and fingernails inspection” of staff.
There are rules governing the hairstyles of female staff at the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC).
But a spokesman said the officer’s action was “outside” the FRSC mandate, the BBC reports.
An official guide for female staff at FRSC parades says they must “maintain a hairstyle that can be tucked into their beret.” It does not mention a ban on long hair.
Lauretta Onochie, an aide to Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, condemned the haircuts as a “humiliation of women” in a post on Twitter.
HUMILIATION OF WOMEN TAKEN TOO FAR BY FRSC sector Commander in Rivers State, Andrew Kumapayi. This man should be …….
Photos-Bucky Hassan pic.twitter.com/WS8lCnISxt— Lauretta Onochie (@Laurestar) April 11, 2017
Other officers involved in the incident had also been recalled, FRSC spokesman Bisi Kazeem told the state-run News Agency of Nigeria.
An investigation was under way and “appropriate sanctions” would be taken against those involved, he added.
