CUSTOMARY AUTHORITY AND INDIGENOUS MECHANISMS OF CRIME CONTROL IN IJIBOR COMMUNITY OF BEKWARRA LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, CROSS RIVER STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study interrogates the role of traditional institutions in maintaining law, order, and social equilibrium in Ijibor community of Bekwarra Local Government Area, Cross River State. Drawing on oral traditions, colonial records, and existing scholarship, the paper argues that long before the imposition of colonial rule, the Ijibor people had evolved a sophisticated system of governance anchored on kinship, spirituality, and communal responsibility. These indigenous institutions, ranging from family courts to ordeal systems, functioned not merely as instruments of justice but as mechanisms for restoring moral balance. The study further situates these institutions within the broader historical context of Ijibor-Ishibori relations, demonstrating how inter-group interactions, colonial disruptions, and post-colonial transformations reshaped traditional crime control systems. It concludes that despite colonial distortions, traditional institutions remain resilient and continue to influence contemporary approaches to justice in the community.