Colonialism and the transformation of Berom Justice System, 1915-1960

Abstract

The conquest and subsequent imposition of colonial rule on the various ethnic nationalities in Nigeria created a great encounter with the traditional institutions therein. These encounters compelled and necessitated adjustments, modifications, adaptability, and some cases, outright
jettisoning of the traditional practices of those ethnic nationalities. While appreciable studies have examined the impact of colonial rule on the political, economic, and ecology of the Berom, less has been done on the impact of the same on their justice system. Thus, this paper examines the Pre-colonial judicial practices of the Berom and how it was transformed by colonialism. To achieve this, the work synthesises sources such as books, chapters in books, projects, dissertations and theses, archival materials, and oral interviews.