In his book, Utilising Sworn Traditional African Oaths in Curbing Corruption and Effecting Justice in Nigeria: Legal, Cultural and Religious Basis, Ubiwe Kabetu Eriye said:” Let the oath-taking revert back to the old ways, where and when people were made to swear by tradition, using the efficacies of local gods and deities to hold people duly accountable for their deeds while in office. The anger of the gods does not hold till tomorrow.
“Every man pays for his misdeeds, misconduct, to the people instantaneously. If therefore our leaders are led to take the oath of office based on the dictates of Amadioha, based on the powers of Sango, Ogun, and so on, the endemic and habitual issues of bribery, corruption, nepotism, abuse of trust in office and such related atrocious acts of abuse of responsibility will be curtailed or stopped in its entirety…”
Days ago, Madzibaba Bond Gumira, a well-known leader of the Johane Masowe Nyenyedzi Nomwe Apostolic sect in Zimbabwe hurried to a police station and confessed to a murder.
According to a local publication, the religious leader handed himself over to the authorities and confessed to shooting and killing a traditional healer, known as a “n’anga.” The circumstances surrounding the crime are yet to be revealed.
Shortly after carrying out the murder, he reportedly fled to a police station to seek refuge from a spirit, or “Ngozi” in Shona, of the person he allegedly killed.
Witnesses claim that the prophet arrived at the station with his Toyota Fortuner covered in dust, claiming that he had been pursued by the restless soul.
Inspector Simon Chazovachiyi, the spokesperson for the Mashonaland East police who confirmed the incident, said they will be carrying out an investigation. Following the prophet’s surrender, the police discovered a bag containing a gun near the crime scene.
Tafadzwa Chitsa, who witnessed the prophet’s arrival at the police station, described how he seemed distressed and disheveled.
In the paper, A Legal Reappraisal of Customary Adjudicatory System in Nigeria posted on the website of nigerianlawguru.com, it was suggested that: “Since oath-taking in the English courts is flouted with impunity and reckless abandon, we recommend that natives be subjected to the various methods for the administration of oath used in their locality. This will save time and perhaps end the endless delay associated with trials in the courts. It is also capable of reducing the financial expenses incurred by litigants. Additionally, truth will be easily discovered.
“To achieve the onerous task of adopting the method of oath-taking according to customary law, we recommend that the extant edicts or laws be amended to accommodate the suggestion that oath-taking in accordance with native law be used in matters between natives (who subscribe to the regime of native law) in the open court without the necessity of giving evidence. The experiment should commence first with the Customary Courts… and subsequently, the gains from the experiment should be extended to English Courts in Nigeria.”
