Senate moves to outlaw tribal marks in Nigeria as bill against it passes for second reading

Senate on Tuesday put machinery in motion towards outlawing tribal marks on the faces of Nigerians as it passed for second reading, a bill prohibiting it.

The bill titled: “A Bill for an Act to provide for the Prohibition of Facial Mutilation, the Offences, Prosecution and Punishment of offenders and the protection of victims under threat of facial mutilation and to provide for other related Matters, 2017,” was sponsored by Senator Dino Melaye, APC, Kogi West.

Senator Dino Melaye who sponsored the bill in the lead debate disclosed that he was motivated on the grounds that the facial marks were not only carried out through the most excruciating pain with knives or some sharp objects but also without the consent of the victims.

He said demonstrated with a gory picture of a little baby shouting in agony following the deep cut inflicted on him through a sharp object by a local surgeon, appealed to his colleagues to support the bill outlawing the tradition in the country.

According to him: “I start this debate with tears in my eyes as I watch this picture showing a little boy undergoing facial mutilation, an act which this Bill seeks to abolish in this country.”

“You may wish to know that these facial imprints are carried out through the most excruciating pain with a knife or some sharp objects. The local surgeon begins his traditional journey deep into your flesh, leaving the victim in his pool of blood as he cuts through vertically and horizontally as the case may be on each side of the cheeks.”

The lawmaker noted that the tradition of African tribal marks dates back to the 14th century and formed part of the rich culture of the black race, most especially in Nigeria, Melaye said at that time, people attached importance to tribal scars for many reasons among which included beautification, religious practices or beliefs passed down from family to family, societal norms or usually relating to a particular god or deity.

The irony of the mark, according to him was that “it makes the victim a subject of mockery by friends and foes alike.”

He said “Imagine someone being called a “Tiger” simply because of stupendous stripped cheeks resulting from facial marks that he bears.

“These marked individuals have been subjected to different reactions by others and they have received these reactions from different perspectives.

“Some have lamented bitterly on these marks that were bequeathed to them as generational inheritance while have cursed the day in which this dastardly Act was performed on them, “he noted.

According to him, “the infliction of tribal marks is an infringement on the rights of children which should be protected by this law.”

“Every Nigerian child enjoys the right to live and to make choices, the adoption of the law will help to protect children from abuses occasioned by the incision of tribal marks.”

“Many of the grown adults have confessed that the most terrific debacle of their lives is the tribal marks. Some have become eunuch because of this stigma”, he added and declared that tribal marks have become what he called” emblems of disfiguration and have hindered many situations of life.”

Ike Ekweremadu, Deputy Senate President who presided over the day’s session, referred the bill to the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, with a mandate to submit report in four weeks.