Igbo Legal And Justice System: The Case of Nteje

Abstract

This study on the Igbo legal and justice system in Nteje, Anambra State is motivated by the need to understand the Igbo legal and justice system as practiced in Nteje community. Legal and justice system is the set down rules and regulations by which any nation, culture or community controls the social behaviour of its people and ensures that justice is brought to the citizenry for peace and harmony. A lot of modern people tend to reject traditional method of justice and prefer the modern system supposedly because of the falsehood and manipulations associated with it which give them edge. It became important to study the nature and application of Igbo legal and justice system in Nteje to unveil such malpractices in the light of today's social change and globalization. The study is important in today's communities where peace appears to elude the citizenry as cases of restlessness, rancor, and fightover inheritance, land disputes and other nagging issues strive. A review of related literature was carried out, in order to enhance the study. The study was descriptive in nature and also adopted the use of oral interview as a means of data collection. The population was mainly titled men and women adjudged knowledgeable in the customs of the land. The results indicate that very strict Igbo legal and justice system exits in Nteje in the areas of inheritance, family tension and land matters except in the case of inter-tribal wars\clashes and marital problems affecting Christians. The judiciary, particularly the customary courts, state and local government,Igwein- council, Nteje Development Union (NDU), students and teachers of Igbo culture as well as researchers will benefit from this study. It is possible to attain peace and tranquility when legal and justice system is fairly applied.