The Ogboni Fraternity is regarded by some as the most powerful secret organization in Nigeria. According to the Nigerian Constitution, you cannot be a member of a secret cult and run for office of the President of the Federal Republic.

This has not stopped rumours from flying about that some former Nigerian presidents are devoted members of this cult. At any rate, this piece is on how one of the secret membership forms of the Ogboni Fraternity in Nigeria looked like in July 1955. That was five years before Nigeria got independence and precisely 60 years ago.  The form has an insignia of a skeleton, a coffin and a club. Some Christian priests and imams also held these cards as members.

The membership form had spaces for name, sex, age, education, tribe, family history, occupation, financial position, any other society the person belonged to, the name of the nominator, the date of membership and the name of the president. Curiously, there was no space for the religion of the member. Ogbonis do not consider religious affiliation and anyone is free to join irrespective of religious leanings.