RELIGIOUS PLURALISM AND THE INTERACTION OF THE YORUBA LEGAL SYSTEM IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The great influence that religion has on law has been a source of argument for many schools of thought. The truth is that no matter how hard one tries to separate law from morality, there is still a moral content within the law. What determines the morals of a society or community is dependent on the society’s religions, customs, traditions and beliefs. Hence, at the core of its being the legal system of a society is based on the moral value system of the society in which it exists. This article therefore attempts to bring these concepts together by examining the Yorùbá religion, its customs and traditions and juxtaposing them alongside the features of the contemporary legal system in Nigeria.  The imperial influence on the Nigerian culture and laws has affected the very core of this nation, mixing with it and birthing a hybridized counterfeit of both cultures. It would seem that the presence of the English law in Nigeria creates a conflict as to which law should apply to a citizen of Nigerian. A crucial question to be asked is why laws of a foreign land are accepted without question, but the laws of the land are forgotten and rejected.