No information on a custom of the son of a deceased man inheriting in marriage his father's Edo wife could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

However, a 30 November 1999a article from The News cited an example of a widow from Edo state who, while participating in some of traditional funeral rites, chose not to marry her husband's younger brother. According to her: "One of my late husband's younger brothers wanted to inherit me but I said I wasn't interest. This may have contributed to the neglect," she said that she experienced from the family.

A 2 October 2000 article from Newswatch reported that

in Calabar, Cross River State, widows have no right to their late husband's estates. A widow who remarries forfeits the rights to her husband's property. If she is too old to remarry, she can elect to "marry" her first son and thus be allowed to remain in the family and attach her inheritance rights to those of her son.

In information related to the practice of a widow marrying the family relations of her late husband, The News recorded an interview with the secretary-general of Muslim Congresss and Chief Imamn of Omole Estate Community (30 Nov. 1999b). During the interview he said that the Holy Quran provides that after serving a "waiting period" following the death of her husband, a

woman has the freedom to remarry. Islam does not confine her, it makes room for the woman to remarry and re-marrying in this case is different from the cultural practice of being forced to marry someone else. A widow is free to choose whoever she wants at any time. It's not compulsory that she must be given to the husband's brother (ibid.).

For other information, related to the possible marriage of an Igbo widow to the son of her deceased husband please consult NGA33756.E of 27 January 2000. For information on the choices available to Nigerian widows faced with a possible levirate marriage, please consult NGA35850.E of 16 October 2000, NGA34989.E of 23 August 2000, NGA34452.E of 18 May 2000, NGA33868.E of 8 February 2000, NGA33619.E of 27 January 2000, and NGA32707.E of 10 September 1999.

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 to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

The News [Lagos]. 30 November 1999a. Dotun Adekanmbi. "Nigeria; Tears for the Living." (Africa News/NEXIS)

_____. 30 November 1999b. "Nigeria; Islam Provides for Widows." (Africa News/NEXIS)

Newswatch [Lagos]. 2 October 2000. Mike Akpan. "Nigeria; Hemmed in By Cultural Barriers." (Africa News/NEXIS)

IRB databases

LEXIS-NEXIS

REFWORLD

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites including:

The Centre for Development and Population Activities (CEDPA)

Center for World Indigenous Studies

Global Reproductive Health Forum

The Guardian [Lagos].

International Center for Research on Women

International Women's Health Coalition

Nigeria Media Monitor

Nigeria News Network

Post Express [Lagos].

Vanguard [Apapa].

Search engines including:

HotBot