Ochendo: An African Journal of Innovative Studies

This study evaluates the viability, effectiveness, and ethical implications of re-? integrating traditional sacred oath-taking as a complementary anti-crime strategy in modern Nigeria. Addressing the structural problems, delays, and pervasive corruption within the formal criminal justice system, the research employs a qualitative methodology comprising both primary and secondary data collection methods. Primary methods encompass direct field observations, keyinformant interviews, Secondary methods rely on a comprehensive review of academic journals, relevant textbooks, institutional reports, online databases and periodicals. The study is grounded in Travis Hirschis Social Control Theory. This theoretical framework was adopted because it explains social conformity through internalized bonds attachment, commitment, involvement, and moral belief rather than relying solely on external state coercion. In a context where state institutions suffer from weak public trust, Social Control Theory illustrates how traditional oaths reactivate deep-seated cosmological beliefs and communal accountability to deter criminal behavior effectively. The findings indicate that while sacred oaths possess strong psychological potency and act as an internalized deterrent in culturally homogeneous communities, their national application faces severe legal and practical hurdles, including conflicts with the secular 1999 Constitution, religious pluralism, and human rights concerns. The study concludes that a literal revival of ancient spiritual rituals within modern statecraft is unfeasible. Instead, it recommends a pragmatic hybrid framework: strengthening the symbolic weight and moral accountability of oaths within the formal customary court system while establishing statutory human rights safeguards and administrative regulation.

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