Traditional justice systems in the Nigerian administration of justice: Lessons from Kenya

• Citation: (2023) 10(1) Journal of Comparative Law in Africa 133
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.47348/JCLA/v10/i1a6
• Published date: 11 September 2023
• Pages: 133-168
• Author: Daibu, A.A.
• Date: 11 September 2023

133 https://doi.org/10.47348/JCLA/v10/i1a6

TRADITIONAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS IN THE

NIGERIAN ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE:

LESSONS FROM KENYA

Abdulrazaq Adelodun Daibu*

Abstract

The Nigerian administration of justice is facing many challenges such as congestion

of cases in the courts, delays in the prompt resolution of cases, corruption in the

formal justice system, a punitive and retributive approach to crime with little or no

room for restitution and reparation of victims of crimes, as well as the adversarial,

hostile, and technical nature of litigation. Although the federal government and

some states have made efforts in respect of criminal matters by the enactment

of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) and Administration of

Criminal Justice Laws (ACJL) traditional justice systems can effectively ameliorate

these challenges in the resolution of both civil and criminal matters. However,

the potential benefits of the effective application and operation of traditional

justice systems in Nigeria are hindered by their restriction to civil disputes, the

lack of a clear and specific legal and policy framework, scant regard for procedural

justice, inadequate or lacking of enforcement mechanisms and a retributive and

punitive approach of the criminal justice system. This article analyses the nature

of the Nigerian traditional justice systems and their relationship with alternative

dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms to see how ADR could complement the

Nigerian administration of justice. The article further examines the challenges of

the Nigerian administration of justice and the practice of traditional justice systems

in Kenya to draw lessons for Nigeria. The article argues that the reconciliatory

and restorative focus of tranditional justice systems could help resolve some of the

challenges facing the Nigerian administration of justice. The article suggests legal,

policy, and institutional reforms and their integration for effective application in

Nigeria.

Keywords: Traditional justice systems; alternative dispute resolution (ADR);

Nigerian administration of justice; Kenyan administration of criminal justice

Résumé

L’administration de la justice nigériane est confrontée à de nombreux défis tels que

le nombre élevé des affaires en attente de jugement dans les différents tribunaux, le

retard dans la résolution rapide des affaires, la corruption dans le système judiciaire

formel, l’approche punitive et rétributive du crime avec peu ou pas de place pour la

restitution et la réparation des victimes de crimes ainsi que la nature contradictoire,

hostile et technique du litige, entre autres. Bien que des efforts aient été faits en

* Senior Lecturer, Department of Private and Property Law, Faculty of Law, University of Ilorin,

Ilorin. Nigeria. E-mail: abdulrazaqdaibu@yahoo.com; daibu.aa@unilorin.edu.ng

(2023) 10(1) Journal of Comparative Law in Africa 133

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134 JOURNAL OF COMPARATIVE LAW IN AFRICA VOL 10, NO 1, 2023

https://doi.org/10.47348/JCLA/v10/i1a6

matière pénale par la promulgation de la loi sur l’administration de la justice pénale

(ACJA) et des lois sur l’administration de la justice pénale (ACJL) par certains États,

les systèmes de justice traditionnels peuvent effectivement améliorer ces défis dans la

résolution des affaires civiles et pénales. Cependant, les avantages potentiels d’une

application et d’un fonctionnement efficaces des systèmes de justice traditionnelle au

Nigeria sont entravés par l’absence d’un cadre juridique et politique clair et spécifique,

par le fait qu’ils se limitent aux litiges civils, par le peu de considération accordée à la

procédurale judiciaire, par l’insuffisance ou l’absence de mécanisme d’application et

par l’approche rétributive et punitive de l’administration de la justice en matière de

criminalité. Cet article analyse la nature du système de justice traditionnel nigérian

et sa relation avec les mécanismes de résolution alternative des conflits (ADR)

afin de voir comment il peut complémenter l’administration de la justice nigériane.

L’article examine ensuite les défis de l’administration de la justice nigériane et la

pratique des systèmes de justice traditionnelle au Kenya pour en tirer des leçons pour

le Nigeria. L’article soutient que les idéaux de réconciliation et de réparation, parmi

d’autres avantages des systèmes de justice traditionnelle, peuvent servir de panacée à

certains des défis auxquels est confrontée l’administration nigériane de la justice et

suggère des réformes juridiques, politiques et institutionnelles pour son intégration et

son application efficace au Nigeria.

Mots-clés: Systèmes de justice traditionnelle; résolution alternative des

conflits administration de la justice Nigériane; administration de la justice

pénale, Kenya

Introduction

Traditional justice systems vary among indigenous communities and

predate most African countries’ modern adversarial justice systems.1

They have been described in different ways.2 Traditional justice systems

1 Kinama, Emily ‘Traditional justice systems as alternative dispute sesolution under Article

159(2)C of the Constitution of Kenya 2010’ (2015) 1 Strathmore Law Journal 22 at 23–24; Emiola,

Akintunde The Principles of African Customary law 2 ed (2005) 52–53; Virtus Chitoo Igbokwe ‘law

and practice of customary arbitration in Nigeria: Agu v Ikewibe and applicable law issues revisited’

(1997) 41(2) Journal of African law 201 at 201–202.

2 For example, customary justice systems, indigenous justice systems, non-state justice systems,

customary judicial process, community arbitration, traditional dispute resolution mechanisms,

customary arbitration and/or informal justice systems. See generally Oseko, Alfred ‘The criminal

justice system in kenya: the role of alternative and traditional dispute resolution mechanisms’ (2015)

8(1) Arbitration 38 at 38–47; Muigua, Kariuki & Francis, Kariuki ‘Alternative dispute resolution,

access to justice and development in Kenya’ (2015) 1 Strathmore Law Journal 1 at 3–4; Kariuki , Francis

‘African traditional justice systems’ available http://kmco.co.ke/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/

African-Traditional-Justice-Systems.pdf[Accessed 5 July 2022]; Sangroula, Yugicha & Sangroula,

Yubaraj ‘Use of informal justice mechanisms in criminal justice system: critical observation of

principles, theories and prospects’ (2016) 5 Journal of Civil and Legal Sciences 1 at 1–13; Aiyedun,

Adenike & Ordor, Ada ‘Integrating the traditional with the contemporary in dispute resolution

in Africa’ (2016) 20 Law Democracy and Development in Africa 154 at 154–173; Kariuki, Francis

‘Community, customary and traditional justice systems in Kenya: Reflecting on and Exploring the

Appropriate Terminology’ available athttps://land.igad.int/index.php/documents-1/countries/

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TRADITIONAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS IN THE NIGERIAN ADMINISTRATION OF

JUSTICE: LESSONS FROM KENYA 135

https://doi.org/10.47348/JCLA/v10/i1a6

encompassealmost all the modern forms of alternative dispute resolution

(ADR) mechanisms such as negotiation, mediation, conciliation,

reconciliation and arbitration, albeit with different names like customary

justice systems, informal justice systems, indigenous justice systems and

traditional justice systems.3 Many African countries, including Nigeria,

had applied traditional justice systems as effective mechanisms for the

resolution of both civil and criminal disputes before the advent of

colonialism.4With the advent of colonialism, the current formal justice

system5 was introduced by establishing British-style courts.6 Traditional

justice systems were initially allowed to operate alongside the formal

justice system.7The formal justice system however gained more ground

and eventually led to the subjugation of the traditional justice systems.8

However, after years of the operation of the formal justice system

via litigation of disputes in various courts, the adversarial, rigid and

technical nature of its proceeding, excessive cost and the slow pace of

its proceedings show it is not very effective.9 Furthermore, most poor

kenya/conflict-3/535-community-customary-and-traditional-justice-systems-in-kenya-reflecting-

on-and-exploring-the-appropriate-terminology/file[Accessed 4 June 2022]. Traditional justice

systems (TJS) include traditional dispute resolution mechanisms (TDRMs) such as customary/

community arbitration, domestic mediation, conciliation and reconciliation etc. Hence, traditional

justice systems and TDRMs are used interchangeably in this article.

3 Chukwuemer ie, Andrew I ‘Arbitration and human rights in Africa’ (2007) 7 African Human

Rights Law Journal 103 at 109; Kariuki & Kariuki, op cit note 2 at 3–4.

4 Oba, Abdumumini A ‘Juju oath in customary arbitration and their legal validity in Nigerian

courts’ (2008) 52 (1) Journal of African Law 139 at 140–141; Igbokwe op cit note 1 at 201; Aiyedun

& Ordor op cit note 2 at 159.

5 The current formal or modern justice system is referred to in this article as the Nigerian

administration of justice. The Nigerian administration of justice is a development of the colonial

government originating from Nigerian history as a former Br itish colony. See generally Asein, J.O.

Introduction to Nigeria legal System 2 ed (2005) 3–4, 98–113; Obilade, Akintunde Olusegun The

Nigerian Legal System (1979) 17–52; Chukkol, Kharisu Sufiyan The Law of Crimes in Nigeria Revised

Edition (2010) 12–26.

6 Uthman, Yahya Duro Hambali ‘Integrating victim perspective into the Nigerian criminal

justice system through an assessment of pre-colonial adjudicatory process’ (2022) 30(1) African

Journal of International and Comparative Law 59 at 60; Taslim Olawale Elias The Nature of African

Customary Law (1956) 5.

7 Akanbi, Muhammed Mustapha Abdulrauf, Lukman Adebisi & Daibu, Abdulrazaq Adelodun

‘Customary arbitration in Nigeria: a review of extant judicial parameters and the need for paradigm

shift’ (2015) 6 (1) Journal of Sustainable Development Law and Policy 199 at 201; Kinama op cit note 1

at 24; Asein op cit note 5 at 129–139.

8 Akanbi, Muhammed Mustapha Domestic Commercial Arbitration in Nigeria: Problems and

Challenges (2012) 141; Obilade op cit note 5 at 20; Elias op cit note 6 at 5; Hambali op cit note 6

at 69.

9 Daibu, Abdulrazaq Adelodun & Adam, Ibrahim Kayode ‘Competence-competence and

separability under the Nigerian arbitral law: a curse or blessing?’ (2017) 8(1&2) Yonsei Law Journal 31

at 31; Akanbi, Muhammed Mustapha Contending without being Contentious: Arbitrators, Arbitration and

Arbitrability (2014) 3; Kurgat, Leonard K & Ombui, Kepha ‘Factors affecting service delivery in the

judicial system in Kenya: A case of Makadara Law Courts’ (2010) 10(2) International Journal of Science

and Research 78 at 78–80.

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