Widow inheritance versus monogamous marriage

The statutory (monogamous) marriage of Oba Oyekan of Lagos to one Miss Akitoye in December 19722, which caused a stir in both social and legal circles, has once more highlighted some of the perennial problems of trying to operate different systems of marriage arising from different cultures and societies within one legal system and jurisdiction. In order to appreciate fully the dilemma which Obas have occasionally had to face because of the multiple system of marriages, and their varying incidents, it is necessary to give a brief outline of these types of marriages. There are three different types of marriage in Nigeria: (i) statutory, (ii) customary and (iii) Islamic marriages. These coincide roughly with (i) Christian culture, (ii) traditional African culture and (iii) Arabic and Islamic culture.