From John Dike, Osogbo

There is palpable tension in one of the Royal families of Osogbo, the Osun State capital, following the sudden disappearance of a toddler, after he reportedly rejected an attempt to give him tribal marks.

The 3-year-old boy, Al-amin Adedolapo Lateef, is one of the youngest additions to the Lahanmi Oyipiloye Royal family of Osogbo, and his disappearance came on the eve of his tribal marks ceremony.

The minor who was declared missing by the family was understood to have shown signs of refusal to have tribal mark on his face following his parents and the family head’s insistence

His disappearance has led to panic among the family members.

Reports said the minor whose 3rd year birthday came up on December 27, 2022 was later declared wanted by the head of their family, Pa Adelabu Lateef for alleged evasion of tribal marks

When the news of the boy’s disappearance broke out, our The Nigerian Monitor Correspondent intensified efforts at getting to the root of what could have prompted a toddler to run away from home, and subsequent action of the head of the family.

It was gathered that the mother of the boy, Aderonke Abimbola Lateef, had taken the boy away from the family house in order to evade being giving tribal mark.

It was gathered that as the family tradition demands, plans had been perfected to inscribe the tribal marks on the boy on December 27, 2022 which was the day of his birthday.

The decision of the family it was learnt did not go down well with the boy’s mother, who secretly fled the house with her son to an unknown destination.

Lahanmi Oyipiloye, according to our findings is one of the ruling houses in Osogbo, the capital city of Osun and had from time immemorial been mandated to have tribal marks on the faces of their male children.

In Osogbo, the Osun state capital for instance, findings however, revealed that tribal marks is one of the criteria or conditions passed down from generations in the ancient town and royal families of Oyipiloye, Matanmi, Sogbodede and Laarooye before anyone among them could become king

This norm of having tribal marks on the faces of male children or princes in order to be eligible for the throne is not known to many members of these aforementioned royal families.

Tribal marks are usually permanent on the faces of the bearer; it is a means of identification which has been passed down from families, communities and royal lineages in Yorubaland and other tribes. It also helps to differentiate one ethnic group from another.

While commenting on the development, Comrade Mrs Iyabode Ishola and Pastor Tunde Aboderin, frowned at the inscription of tribal marks on the faces of male children in some family houses, especially the royal families in Osogbo, describing it as archaic, and an infringement on their fundamental human rights.

Pa Adelabu Lateef, on his part and on behalf of the family, urged anybody with useful information concerning the whereabouts of the toddler and her mother, to contact the family in Osogbo, Osun State capital.