NIGERIA Man broke into a house intending to steal. His plans, however, did not go as expected, and he was caught by the homeowner. As is common in Nigeria, people often prefer street justice over state justice. Simply shouting “thief” caused an angry crowd to gather around him, and he was painfully whipped with a rope.
Nigeria is divided into northern and southern regions, each with very different rules. While the south is predominantly Christian, the north is strongly Muslim and officially enforces Sharia law. Physical punishments are derived from Islamic “hudūd” and are officially permitted and frequently applied there.
In the southern parts of the country, such punishments are officially banned. However, in rural areas, they still occur. People there have little trust in the state justice system and feel that if they do not punish thieves themselves, justice will never be served.
