Children born with hairs that have a strong tendency to lock on their own are regarded as “special” in some societies. Such children are called “Dada” among the Yoruba speaking people of Nigeria. Some Igbo communities in the past believe they were reincarnate of great men and women

Comfort Yakubu

Dada is common among members of Cherubim and Seraphim Church founded in 1925 by Orimolade Tunuolase at Ikare, Ondo State. According to Pastor Israel Odusina, of the Cherubim and Seraphim movement Ilorin, ‘Dreadlock is peculiar in ‘Aladura’ Churches because they operate based on what the Lord says, ‘’our doctrine is based on the Bible. We don’t go outside the Bible, the moment Samson disobeyed the commandments, the power of God left him’.
He explained that before a chosen child is born, God would reveal in form of prophecy that the child would be a chosen child, I had a daughter while I was in Niger State where there was no Cherubim and Seraphim and I had not received instructions from God earlier he explains.
Back then, my daughter always fell sick each time her mother plaited her hair, she also had retarded growth , at the age of 7 she still looked like a Toddler, then I instructed her mother to stop plaiting her hair and within 7 days of leaving her hair, dreadlocks sprang up and then she started growing, today she is a graduate of the University of Ilorin.
He explained further that when he was in Jebba in the earlier 80s, there was a woman in their Church who had a sick son. The Church did all they could to ensure the boy recovered but it was not working.
All forms of medication failed, the mother went back to Kaduna where the boy’s father was working for some expatriates, the expatriates took the child to the hospital and began medication, but it did not work. At some point, they wanted to shave the boy’s hair to locate a vein for drip.

Although the mother pleaded that she had been warned never to cut the boy’s hair, the father disagreed and insisted the hair, must be shaved.When the father got home, he later narrated how the child appeared to him in a trance warning him against cutting his hairs saying if his hair was cut the father should be willing to bear the consequences.
“The boy was said to have told his father not to call him Emmanuel again but Dada. The boy’s father immediately ran back to the hospital and called the boy Dada, the boy laughed and that was how he recovered.
Pastor Odushina added that he is a Dada and all his children are Dada. According to him, you don’t have to carry dreadlocks all your life as a Dada, God will reveal the age at which the hairs should be cut. It could be at age 14 or more. He stressed that whatever has original has fake, just as there are chosen ones there are some who are not called but make themselves Dada. He went on further to explain that no sacrifice is required to cut a Dada’s hair contrary to popular opinion.

Speaking on the issue of “Dada” from an Islamic perspective, Professor Badmus Lanre Yusuf of Islamic Studies Department, University of Ilorin, explained that the teachings and practices of Islam are based on the Holy Quran and in the statement of prophet Mohammed called Hadith and that anything not found in the Hadith or Quran cannot be found in Islam. That is why there is nothing like “Dada” among the Muslims.
He added that when a baby is born, there are important things you are to do: shave the hair of the baby and after 7 days, give the baby a beautiful name and then slaughter a ram or goat to celebrate the arrival of the baby.”
For those who believe in the concept of keeping a child’s hair without cutting it because ” it is a taboo to cut such hair and cutting it will have consequences”, I believe it is related to some traditional belief of those people.
Before the advent of Christianity and Islam into this region he explains, people had their traditional religious practices but with the coming of Islam and Christianity many dropped the African religion, however, some remained conservative and nothing can change their perspective. The concept of Dada is not logical and lacks Quranic and Biblical backing he adds.
Chief Martins Ndudin Obed a businessman from Abia State, explained that the phenomenon is not common in Eastern Nigeria, as much as you have in the Southwest.
If any family practice such culture in the East, the family will be seen as still living in “Darkness” and archaic.
“In my opinion, keeping such hair is just superstitious. Some people may be hairy and when such people have children, the baby may have a little more hair, the hair will look curled and tangled, and then people will call them “Dada” all that is superstitious, and not true.
A lot of people are not comfortable being around people with Dada because many people associate the hairstyle with some sort of spirituality hence some people may not want to go close to them, I see the idea as rubbish: it is a useless superstitious belief he adds

Pastor Ago King of Life Changers Ministry Ilorin explained that in the book of Judges Chapter 13, Hannah who had been trusting God for a child was instructed not to cut the hair of the child she was carrying because the child shall be a Nazarite.
“The word ‘Nazarite’ is not defined by dreadlocks he says, it is a kind of self-separation not hairstyle, dreadlock doesn’t make anyone a Nazarene, it is the prophecy. I have met a lot of dread lockers who are loofers on the street. I can’t have a child and conclude the child has inherited the prophecy of Samson, Such erroneous interpretation of the Bible is making a mockery of the Christian faith. Dreadlocks is never a sign of one that is being called he explains.
There is no doubt that while some people frown at the idea of wearing dreadlocks some adore that style of hair.dreadlocks cut across different cultures. It also dates as far back as ancient Egypt as shown by recovered Egyptian artifacts from archaeological sites.
Yogis and Cyan’s are Eastern sect famous with the dreadlocks hairstyle. In ancient India students on the spiritual path developed dreadlocks as an aid to the development of his bodily strength, supernatural, mental, and spiritual powers.
Rastafari, is a religious sect developed in Jamaica during the 1930s, Classified not only as a religious movement but a social movement, they worshipped Haile Selassie, Emperor of Ethiopia the way Christians believed in Jesus Christ.
Rastafarians believed that locks are a sign of separation and sacredness, this belive is backed up with the Jews Nazerine Tradition, the vow of a Nazarite involved abstaining from strong drinks, combing the hair during the period of the vow, and avoiding contact with the dead.
At the end of the period of the vow, the Nazarite would go to the door of the sanctuary with a lamb for a sin offering and another lamb for a peace offering, sacrifices would then be offered by the priest and the Nazarite would cut his hair and throw it into the fire
Ras-Gad is a Rastafarian based in Abuja Nigeria, he says “carrying dreadlocks is part of the characteristics of a Nazarene, those who are separated to serve Jah, this culture he explains is supported by the Bible.
He made references to the Book of Numbers Chapter 6 saying that Moses asked Israelites to separate themselves for service, he says it is not just the dreadlocks that make one a Nazarene but abstaining from doing bad and alcohol, he added that serving Jah is required.
Our practice is based on the laws of the Bible he explains, ‘that is the law we keep both physically and spiritually we Rastafarians are not tribal or political, we believe in peace’.
“We are Africanists, our constitution is based on the teaching of Marvus Gavey, the first pan Africanist who lived and died for the Blackman and Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia.
Middle-aged Gloria is married with two children, she says dreadlocks is the perfect style for her, it is easy to maintain and saves her from the stress of long hours in the salon.
She acknowledges that many people carry it in an irresponsible manner making people frown at the style but for her, she takes good care of her locks.
Gloria who has been carrying dreadlocks for over 8years said about 15 people have changed their hairstyles to dreadlocks when they met her because of the way she takes good care of it and more people have indicated interest.