Precolonial Yoruba Criminal Justice System…

Some of the criminal laws:

1. Larceny, burglary and stealing are punishable by death or the culprit is deported by being sold into slavery.

2. Should a native doctor administer some medicinal mixture which causes the death of the patient, the doctor is responsible for the fatality. It matters not whether it is by accident or not.

3. False accusation is a crime. The penalty is equal to the penalty which would have been inflicted on the accused if the crime had been proved conclusively against him.

4. Highway robbery is a crime, but making raids on the enemy in time of war is not. The penalty is execution.

5. Swearing at or pronouncing a curse and imprecation on another man or woman is a crime. The curser is heavily fined, and should any evil befall the party cursed within 12 months or any other limited period, the curser is responsible for the same.

6. Treason and sedition are capital offences, the penalty is death, ejection, or deportation. The offender’s property is confiscated. His children may be fined or expelled or sold out of the country.

7. Abduction is a crime. The penalty is a heavy fine, according to the nature of crime.

8. Manslaughter is a crime.

9. Misappropriation of money or goods is a crime.

10. Secret exportation and importation in time of blockade is a crime. The goods are confiscated and a heavy fine imposed.

11. Arson is a crime. The culprit, if caught on the spot, is thrown into the fire.
Note: It is customary to set fire to the house of an offender in retaliation, particularly when a man commits adultery with or abducts the wife of the offended. But the offender must evade being caught on the spot. It is not necessary to identify him afterwards.

12. Blackmailing is a crime punishable with fine or imprisonment or both.

13. Conspiracy to murder or steal is a capital offence. The conspirators, if caught, are liable to flogging and heavy fines, and are bound over to protect the life and property of the objects of their conspiracy. They are at any time responsible should any harm come to the person conspired against.

14. Receiving stolen property as a present of gift, when the man is not capable of giving such a gift is criminal. The offender is liable to a heavy fine or imprisonment or both. He is also liable to be executed.

Reference:
E. A. Ajiṣafẹ Moore: “Laws and Customs of the Yoruba people” (1906) pg 28 - 30

- Olobe Yoyon

if some of these yoruba laws will be used in nigeria's constitution, e for make sense well well, especially that false accussation penalty