The Socio-Legal Context of the Nigerian Legal System and the Shariah Controversy: An Analysis of Its Impact on Some Aspects of Nigerian Women’S Rights

Abstract

Nigeria operates a complex mixture of laws in its legal system and because of this and depending on the context, many a times the rights of Nigerian citizens are violated both locally and from international human rights perspectives.  This cannot be unconnected with the operative mechanisms of English law, customary and Islamic laws within the same structure of the Nigerian legal system.  The article examines the effect of the introduction of the Shariah Law into the Nigerian Legal System as it affects some aspects of women’s rights in Nigeria.  It is argued that women’s rights to reproductive freedom, freedom from discrimination based on gender and religion together with their right to human dignity and respect should be upheld and respected irrespective of the introduction of the Shariah law in the Northern part of Nigeria.