Expressing her strong disapproval, Toke Makinwa, a prominent media personality, has condemned the practice of assigning tribal marks to children without their consent, deeming it a form of cruelty.
Makinwa conveyed her opinion through a series of posts on her X account over the weekend.
Her reflections on the longstanding tradition were prompted by a recent encounter with an influencer adorned with tribal marks.
She articulated, “Witnessing a beautiful influencer with tribal marks today led me to ponder the adverse impact of this cultural practice on us. It is truly wicked to mark a child without their agreement solely for identification purposes. Our forebears may have been unaware, but gosh!!!”
In subsequent updates, she emphasized her admiration for the aesthetic appeal of individuals bearing tribal marks. However, her primary concern remains the lack of consent when applying these marks to children for identification.
“Fortunately, such practices are now obsolete. Even my grandmother bore tribal marks – on her face and arms. I contemplate the experiences she must have had carrying them around when she was younger, notwithstanding the prevalence of similar markings in her vicinity back then. But thankfully, it is a thing of the past now,” she added.
Amidst backlash from certain X users, Makinwa clarified in another post that her objection stemmed from the absence of consent rather than the attractiveness of the marks.
She elaborated, “The issue lies in the lack of consent, not in the beauty or lack thereof. Nevertheless, I have come across several beautiful individuals adorned with tribal marks,” she clarified.