The Crown Is Already On My Head – Miss Nigeria Shatu Garko Tells Critics

Shatu Garko has responded to criticisms over her participation in the 2021 Miss Nigeria beauty pageant that saw her crowned as the winner.

Gatekeepers News reports that Garko, the 44th Miss Nigeria is a hijab model from the Northern part of Nigeria and her participation has generated mixed reactions due to her religious background as a Muslim.

recently, the Kano State Hisbah board described the beauty pageant as anti-Islam and announced plans to interrogate Garko’s parents for approving her participation in the contest.

Similarly, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) backed Hisbah’s stance on the issue.

Garko, in a chat with BBC Pidgin, slammed her critics, saying “Nigerians like judging people.” She also dismissed speculations that she paid to emerge the winner of the contest.

“Honestly, Nigerians like judging people. Many people said the president paid for me to get the crown, others said the state governor paid to get me the crown. There are also those who claimed my parents paid Miss Nigeria but that’s not true,” the 18-year-old said.

She noted that she is yet to get an invitation from Hisbah but has received several scathing remarks from people.

“No one has called me but I’ve gotten so many comments and DMs that ‘I was naked’, ‘I’m doing the wrong thing,” she added.

“Some people who are not even Muslims said that I’m spoiling the Miss Nigeria culture. Honestly, I don’t reply them, I don’t say anything, I just move on. The crown is already on my head so there is nothing I can do.”