Grace O. Akolokwu

Customary Law Practices in Nigeria: the Case of the Niger Delta Grace O. Akolokwu

Custom and cultural practices show the acceptable lifestyles of a people. they show rules of approved conduct, possible sanctions of behaviours termed odious and the collective will of the people to survive as a group. The Niger delta area is located in the southern part of Nigeria. It is an area populated by the ijaw speaking peoples, the Ikwerre, Ogba, Ogonis among many other groups. These linguistic groups with their different customary laws, still very much applicable to their daily lives despite statutory and other local legislations may actually find the customs to be inhibitive of certain rights internationally acknowledged as fundamental to man. Some of these practices are shrouded in secrecy, not presented to the public, and may even be termed barbaric. This work tries to highlight some of this customary practices. How restrictive of persons' rights are they? Are they supportive of global best practices or actually manacles to the exercise of human rights? The essence of this work is to present the customary law and practices of some groups in the Niger Delta as they are; with the hope of drawing global attention to them and to the need to fight any abuse of rights.