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PHOTOS: Dakakari Terracotta Sculptures: Guardians of Memory and Prestige

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The Dakakari terracotta sculptures of northwestern Nigeria—dating roughly from the 18th to the 20th century CE—are striking testaments to the way art, memory, and social hierarchy intersect in the region’s traditional culture. These hand-modelled clay figures are more than decorative pieces: they are enduring symbols of honor, remembrance, and spiritual continuity.

Funerary Art with Deep Social Roots

Central to Dakakari mortuary practice, these sculptures were traditionally placed atop the sealed stone-lined shaft tombs of the deceased, particularly individuals of high rank such as chiefs or elite hunters. Their presence transformed burial sites into communal shrines, where art served both as a memorial and a bridge to the spirit world.

Commemoration through Annual Rituals

Each year, families would return to the tombs to pour libations of maize flour or beer over the figures. This recurring rite reinforced family lineage and collective memory, ensuring that the achievements of the deceased remained present in the community’s consciousness.

Powerful Symbols in Clay

The forms of these sculptures vary: some are anthropomorphic, representing human figures, while others are zoomorphic, depicting animals. Certain animals—especially elephants, a symbol of strength and prestige—were typically reserved for the graves of influential leaders or accomplished hunters. In this way, the imagery of each sculpture communicated the status and virtues of the person it honored.

Skilled Hands and Generational Legacy

The sculptures were often created by highly skilled potters, typically post-menopausal women, whose artistry and social standing granted them the authority to craft such sacred works. Over generations, multiple figures could be added to a single site, creating an evolving clay record of a family’s history and growth.

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Material and Craftsmanship

Made from terracotta—fired clay—the sculptures embody both durability and expressive freedom. Their weather-resistant material allowed them to survive decades of exposure, while their hand-modelled details reflect the unique signature of each artisan.

These Dakakari terracotta sculptures are more than relics of the past; they are living markers of prestige, ancestral reverence, and cultural memory. Through their presence, the Dakakari people honored their dead and affirmed the enduring bonds between the living and the ancestral world.

Sources: Dakakari terracotta, Nigerian funerary art, ancestral rituals, African heritage

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Lifestyle

He Has Not Seen Food To Eat – Ibiyeomie Reveals Why Hell Message No Longer Works

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Founder and presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, David Ibiyeomie, has stated that Nigerians are no longer afraid of the message of hell due to economic hardship.

According to him, they should preach a message of love and compassion instead.

It was reports that the clergyman made the remarks while addressing his congregants.

Ibiyeomie said many Nigerians are already struggling with severe economic challenges, making messages focused solely on the consequences of hell less effective in winning them to Christ.

“Just tell them God loves you; He can change your story. Come to Jesus. But if you say, ‘You’ll go to hell,’ the man will say, ‘The suffering wey I dey suffer now, na wetin e be?’

“That kind of message can’t convert one soul. You go there and say, ‘If you don’t convert to Jesus, you are going to hell.’ The man will say he has not even seen food to eat, he has not bought petrol; already, he is in hell,” he said.

Ibiyeomie said compassion should motivate Christians to tell people that Jesus loves them regardless of what they are going through and that God can show them mercy.

“Compassion will make you tell them Jesus loves you. In spite of what you’re going through, He will show you His mercy. Compassion is the greatest tool that brings people to Christ. It is from your heart,” he said.

The pastor said God himself is compassionate and urged Christians to extend the same quality to others.

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Citing Psalm 103:8, he said: “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion.”

He added that God does not treat people according to their past mistakes and failures, saying those who have received God’s compassion should also show compassion to others.

Ibiyeomie, who cited Ephesians 4:32, said: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

He described compassion as one of the most powerful expressions of God’s nature, stressing that it goes beyond merely feeling sorry for another person.

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Igbos built Nollywood, but Yorubas have become dominant” — Francis Duru

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Veteran actor Francis Duru has sparked debate after saying Igbos played a major role in building modern Nollywood, but Yoruba filmmakers have become more dominant.

Speaking in an interview on Gbam, Duru said Igbo entrepreneurs helped build the home-video industry but argued that the Yoruba community has been more successful at supporting and promoting its own people.

“We [Igbos] created Nollywood, but if you go to Netflix today, you hardly see one movie that speaks of Igbo heritage,” he said.

Duru urged Igbos to learn from the Yoruba community’s ability to protect and project its culture, stressing that his comments were not an attack on Yoruba filmmakers.

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🔥 A HARD QUESTION FOR CHRISTIAN WIVES: WHY DO YOU RESPECT YOUR PASTOR MORE THAN YOUR HUSBAND?

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Some wives can stand before their pastor with a gentle voice, a respectful attitude, and complete attention. They will never speak to their pastor the way they speak to their husband at home.

But when they get home, the respect disappears.

Is that really the kind of Christian character God wants?

Before you get angry with this question, examine yourself.

📖 Ephesians 5:33 (KJV) says:

“…and the wife see that she reverence her husband.”

The Bible does not tell a wife to reverence her pastor while treating her husband with contempt.

But let us also be fair: God did not command husbands to demand respect while refusing to love their wives.

📖 Ephesians 5:25 (KJV):

“Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it.”

Marriage is not a competition between husband and pastor.

Your pastor may preach to you, counsel you, and pray for you—but your husband is the person you chose to build a life with.

If you can speak politely to your pastor, why can’t you speak politely to your husband?

If you can listen patiently to your pastor, why can’t you listen patiently to your husband?

If you can honor your pastor publicly, why must your husband receive disrespect privately?

And husbands, this message is for you too:

You cannot demand the respect you refuse to give.

📖 1 Peter 3:7 (KJV):

“Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife…”

A Christian home should not be a place where one person demands submission while the other refuses to show love.

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Respect should go both ways. Love should go both ways. Honor should go both ways.

📖 1 Corinthians 16:14 (KJV):

“Let all your things be done with charity.”

🔥 THE REAL QUESTION IS THIS:

If your pastor saw the way you speak to your husband at home, would he recognize the same Christian character you display in church?

👇 BE HONEST:

Do you think some Christians give their pastor more respect than they give their spouse?

YES or NO? Tell us why in the comments.

And if this message challenged you, share it with someone who needs to hear it.

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