In 28 June 2004 correspondence, a professor of anthropology and director of the African Studies Centre at the University of Pennsylvania, whose publications include Africas Ogun: Old World and New (1997), Political Representation in Yorubaland: Old States and New Nations (1994) and Patrons and Power: Creating a Political Community in Metropolitan Lagos (1986), provided the following information.

In Nigeria, the "institution of Chieftaincy varies from community to community" and each "chieftaincy title has different rules." Most titles are "inherited," and there is intense competition between eligible people. Today, chieftains have few responsibilities. Nevertheless, chieftains are influential in their community, where they are often consulted, and they exert some authority in disputes among community members.

Certain people can refuse a chieftaincy title without suffering any consequences. Those who compete for the title have a greater chance of facing consequences than those who refuse the title.

"Theoretically," the state provides protection to those who refuse the title. Each state has a Ministry of Chieftaincy Affairs that is responsible for chieftaincy issues (see NGA42749.FE dated 9 July 2004). In addition, all chieftaincy cases can go to the courts.

A recent article in The Guardian, a Nigerian newspaper, referred to the Nigerian Supreme Court's unanimous judgment concerning a case of succession to the throne in Niger State [one of the 36 states in Nigeria] (18 June 2004). According to that article, the judges found that the selection process for the February 2000 succession to the throne was compliant with customs and tradition, and that it did not derogate from the directive in the Appointment and Deposition Law in effect in Niger State (The Guardian 18 June 2004). This Day, published in Lagos, indicated in its 11 June 2004 issue that a Jos High Court [Jos is the capital of Plateau State] dismissed a claim in which the plaintiffs stated that the selection of the candidate for the Long-Kwo stool of Kwande was not valid. The plaintiffs claimed that, for this title, "only adult male descendants of the ruling houses of Poema, Nuku, Kasang and Lakwaram were entitled to contest for and ascend to the throne" (This Day 11 June 2004).

Originally from Nigeria, a professor of religion and Chair of African American and African Studies at the University of California at Davis, and author of Beyond Primitivism: Indigenous Religious, Traditions and Modernity (Routledge, 2004), Religion, Kingship and Rituals in a Nigerian Community (Stockholm, 1991) and other publications, provided the following information in 28 June 2004 correspondence.

Chieftaincy is an old institution in Nigeria, and its traditions vary from place to place. In some communities, the title is passed from father to son or from a senior member of the lineage to a male child of that same lineage. "Sometimes there is competition among the children for the title." In other communities, chieftaincy titles are "issued by the council of elders and traditional rulers in a locality." Sometimes the act of issuing titles is carried out by a committee made up of members of a family or of a clan.

The responsibilities of a chieftain vary from one community to another. This person may belong to the "village council of governors" or perform certain rituals.

In some places, refusing to take the chieftaincy title is considered taboo. However, in other places, where conversion to Christianity or Islam is common, an increasing number of people, who no longer want to practice certain traditional rituals, are refusing to take the title.

The professor of religion pointed out that, to his knowledge, the law does not set out any provisions concerning protection offered by the state in the event that someone refuses the chieftaincy title.

During a 29 June 2004 telephone interview, the professor of religion provided the following additional information. He stated that, to his knowledge, only some candidates who feel that they were cheated during a chieftaincy selection will go to the courts. He also said that he was not aware of any cases in which a person had problems resulting from refusing the chieftaincy title. He also said that, in refusing the title, a person is giving up the honours and advantages associated with it. He said that people who hold the chieftaincy title are highly respected in their communities, and that competition to obtain the titles is quite intense.

For information about consequences resulting from refusing a chieftaincy title among the Yoruba, see NGA40990.E of 19 February 2003.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

This Day [Lagos]. 11 June 2004. Funmi Peter-Omale. "Court Throws Out 14-Yr Old Chieftaincy Dispute." http://allafrica.com/stories/200406110463.html [Accessed 28 June 2004]

The Guardian [Lagos]. 18 June 2004. Emmanuel Onwubiko. "Supreme Court Okays Dantoro as Borgu Emir." http://news.biafranigeriaworld.com/archive/2004/jun/18/020.html [Accessed 5 July 2004]

Professor of anthropology and Director of the Centre of African Studies, University of Pennsylvania. 28 June 2004. Correspondence.

Professor of religion and Chair of African American and African Studies, University of California at Davis. 29 June 2004. Telephone interview.

_____. 28 June 2004. Correspondence.

Two university experts in African traditions were unable to provide information on chieftaincy in Nigeria.

The author of Igbo 'Traditional Rulers': Chieftaincy and the State in Southeastern Nigeria, and the Chair of the Heinrich Böll Foundation, Nigeria branch, did not provide any information within the time constraints.

Internet sites, including: AllAfrica, Amnesty International, BBC Africa, Ecoi.net, HRW, Heinrich Böll Foundation, Indigenous Knowledge Network, Newswatch Nigeria, Nigeria Daily.