From wife stealing to women having multiple sex partners, the age-old customs of the Wodaabe tribe

The Wodaabe are known nomads who are mostly found in northern Cameroon, Chad, Niger and northeast Nigeria.

Their spread across Sub-Saharan Africa contributed to their more than 15 lineage groups. Membership of these groups is based on blood-lines and traveling together.

With an estimated 160, 000 and 200, 000 people splitting amongst all the groups, the Wodaabe lineage comes together and hold their ceremonial dances, the Geerewol, Worso, and Yakke.

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Known for their elaborate attire and rich cultural ceremonies, they believe in a deity and various spirits that live mostly on trees and wells. And, despite their beliefs in “lesser-known gods”, the Wodaabe are known to have a significant amount of knowledge in Islam and are reported to invoke the name of Allah in times of death or difficulty.

In this article, Face2Face Africa brings you some unconventional yet interesting cultural practices of the Wodaabe tribe.