Dokument #1140456
IRB – Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (Autor)
Information regarding marriage customs in
Nigeria, the role of the police in protecting women and the
penalties for changing one's mind, is not currently available to
the IRBDC. However, the complexity of marriage customs can be
illustrated by marriage among the Yoruba. According to the Yoruba
of southern Nigeria, marriage is viewed as a union of lineages
rather than individuals and in some cases "Kin often arranged
marriages...when the parties themselves were children" (Mann 37).
Among the Yoruba a distinction is made between customary marriage
and Christian marriage. Customarily, relatives played a very
important role as they were the ones that evaluated the marriage
partners in terms of suitability based on the prospective mates
ability to "bear children, work diligently, and meet obligations to
affines" (37).
Once a man's relatives had approved the
union, there were a series of rituals to be performed. These ranged
from a meeting to negotiate bridewealth followed by a ceremony
(isihun) at the home of the bride during which representatives of
the man's lineage "offered kola, bitter kola, refreshments and
possibly a small amount of currency, which the woman's cognates
shared to show that they accepted the betrothal" (Mann 38). The
man's kin then paid the final installment of bridewealth (Idaanon)
shortly before the woman joined her husband's household and
finally, the woman moved to her husband's residence during a ritual
called igbeeyawo. Christian marriages on the other hand, appealed
more to the educated elite and " played a major role in identifying
and defining the elite. It contributed in important ways to elite
formation and maintenance" (45). Christian marriages presented
Yoruba men with a dilemma. The Yoruba regarded polygyny as the
ideal form of marriage but this violated Church teaching although
it did not deter them from forming unions outside of marriage.
According to an authority on Nigerian
affairs, the police may not have the necessary resources for
addressing the problems of women being threatened by males in the
society (information received during a telephone interview on 29
June 1990). Although there is no general answer to the
aforementioned question, the source states that it is important to
acknowledge the different variables involved. These include the
social and economic standing of both the man and woman, the
determination, strength and nature (re: maliciousness) of the man,
the region where police protection is being sought and the size of
the gifts involved (bridewealth). The source also reports that
because the Hausa are Moslems, they are permitted to marry up to
four wives, so long as they can provide equally for all.
Corroborating information regarding the
above statements is currently unavailable to the IRBDC.
For information regarding the police in
Nigeria, please find excerpts from the following documents:
Report on Human Rights in Nigeria,
Lagos: Civil Liberties Organization, 1989, pp. 7-10.
U.S. Department of State, Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices for 1989, Washington: U.S.
Government Printers, pp.268-280.