Speaking during an appearance on Bae U’s Curiosity Made Me Ask, Obasanjo said the marks served as a means of identifying people and tracing their origins, particularly during the era of slave trade.
According to him, tribal marks made it possible for people to recognise members of the same ethnic group even after some had been taken away and sold into slavery.
He explained that among the Yoruba, having a tribal mark was once regarded as a sign of belonging, adding that those without one could be viewed as people from less privileged backgrounds.
Obasanjo also pushed back against a suggestion that the absence of tribal marks indicated a lack of wealth, stressing that his financial status should not be judged by whether he has such traditional markings.
He said, “Tribal marks were used to identify people who were sold into slavery. If you were Yoruba and didn’t have one, it meant you were poor.”
The former president’s comments have sparked discussions online about the historical and cultural significance of tribal marks among the Yoruba and other Nigerian ethnic groups.
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