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Language, Culture and Human Rights Abuse in Igbo Land   

Esther Ogochukwu Akpulu 

Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 

eo.akpulu@unizik.edu.ng 

 

Abstract    

This study examines language, culture and human right abuse in 

Igbo land. Language and culture are integral components of the 

society. The language of the people is embedded in their culture. 

Language and culture can help to achieve unity, promote security 

and human right in the Igbo nation. To ensure posterity, no cultural 

group should forsake their lifestyle and tradition, instead, express 

their culture and participate in the society free of irrational hostility. 

Unfortunately, there are some cultural practices that negate the 

human right in Igbo land. The English language as the official 

language is deemed more prestigious despite that no ethnic group 

in Nigeria is English language native speakers. The objective of this 

study is to highlight and discourage inhuman cultural practices in 

Igbo land because most often, these practices abuse the human 

rights and expose the victims to insecurity. The study also aims to 

analyse the interconectivity between language and culture, their 

roles towards enhancing security and rights of the citizens. The 

study is descriptive in nature. Thomas Aquinas’s Natural Right 

theory is used for analysis. The data collection was by observation, 

library and internet sources. The findings reveal that some 

inhumane cultural practices in Nigeria had come into serious 

confrontations. It also revealed that although there has been notable 

changes for instance in widowhood practices, more still has to be 

done. Some unassuming persistent practices that violate the human 

rights should be addressed and abolished. It recommends that both 

mailto:eo.akpulu@unizik.edu


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the human rights activists and all concerned individuals should 

stand up against practices that abuse the human rights whether they 

are masterminded by cultural practices or government policies.    

Keywords: language, culture, human rights abuse, cultural practices     

 

1. Introduction   

The Igbo nation occupies the eastern part of Nigeria, and it 

comprises five states namely Abịa, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and 

Imo. Out of over two hundred and seventy groups that make up 

Nigeria, Igbo nation is presumed to be one of the largest. Igbo 

language is the native language of Igbo people though, they have 

various dialects. Prior to colonial rule, the Igbo people operated a 

republican society and were guided by values, norms and customs. 

Norms are guidelines of behaviour based on values. Cultural norms 

of the Igbo people serve as code of conduct for the generality of the 

people. The code of conduct over the time forms the custom of the 

people and thus, considered as laws of the land. The customary laws 

were not written any where instead, placed in the hearts of the 

members of the society. Akpulu (2021:86) posits that “For the Igbo 

people, there is no book that contains their laws or code of conduct. 

Unlike the Europeans... But every member of the Igbo society grows 

up and learns it informally from his people.” The customary law has 

a general application and is no respecter of any body – man or 

woman, poor or rich, young or old, titled or non-titled members of 

the communities.    

Cultural plurality helps to attain unity in diversity where subordinate 

groups do not have to forsake their lifestyles and culture instead, 

express their culture and participate in the larger society without 

prejudice. Apparently, within the groups exist some harmful and 

inhuman practices. Since culture is the way people express 

themselves in their daily interactions, cruelty of any kind must be 



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eliminated so as not to keep the victims in a permanent state of fear 

or insecurity. This is because the abuse of the fundamental human 

rights instead of promoting it, makes the individual or even group 

involved to sometimes assume a low esteemed identity. In some 

cases, the victims may summon courage to forcefully register their 

displeasure and take their natural rights thereby resulting to unrest 

in the system. In as much as people live out their culture in their 

daily lives, it is very pertinent to strike a balance between any claim 

of cultural rights and universal human rights. Needless to say is that 

women and children are most vulnerable to these dehumanising 

cultural practices. Human rights are rights we have because we are 

human beings. They are the rights we rightfully possess as human 

beings. These universal human rights are inherent to us. This is to 

say that these rights are not granted by any state. The universal 

human rights include right to life and liberty, freedom from slavery 

and torture, right to freedom of opinion, choice and expression, the 

right to education and work among others. Any custom of the land 

that violates human rights of the citizens should be revisited.     

What this study stands to portray is that most of these human 

rights still face abuses by some persistent obnoxious and 

dehumanising cultural practices and insincerity of the state to 

respect these rights even as entrenched in the law. Igbo cultural 

norms and customs that expose the citizens especially  women and 

children to abuses and insecurity should be abolished. It then calls 

for more serious intervention of the National Human Rights 

Commission, human rights activists, religious leaders and all 

concerned individuals to curb the abuses. This will help to secure 

the society where everyone will be safe and have a sense of 

belonging.        

This paper examines how negative usage of language and 

culture can militate against the human rights instead of enhancing it 



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in Igbo cultural setting. Language and culture will be briefly 

explained. The concept of human rights will also be expounded. 

Some cultural practices that still exist within the Igbo communities 

will be examined and the efforts of the Nigerian Human Rights 

Protection Agency to avert them portrayed. The findings and 

recommendations will bring the research to a close.      

 

2. Literature Review 

2.1 Language    

Language is the basic means of communication. Its role is to convey 

message from a speaker or writer to the possible audience. Without 

language, interpersonal relationship will be very difficult to achieve. 

Language is used to create and convey ideas. It is an inseparable part 

of the human society. It is also used to learn, conserve and transmit 

cultural traits. Emenanjo (1980) agrees that most human knowledge 

and culture is stored and transmitted in language. Isidienu and Ibeh 

(2020:228) observe that “Language is a devise which employs vocal 

symbols to give or hide information, to give illusions of love or to 

create realities of hate, to build or to destroy.” Nzeakor and Usondu 

(2013) assert that, man as a social being, acquires language for a 

harmonious living. Meaning that the purpose of every language is to 

communicate efficiently and that failure to do so will amount to 

communication breakdown. Language and the ability to 

communicate is an essential building block of human relations.    

The above concepts of language reveal that language is very 

crucial for interpersonal associations. It  helps to share information, 

ideas and feelings with one another and can enhance or mar 

relationships depending on the usage. The researcher agrees that 

language as a means of communication and information 

dissemination can integrate or cause divisions in a multi regional 



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society like Nigeria. The use of abusive language by any individual 

or group against any other can ignite sense of insecurity.        

2.2 Culture    

Many scholars have given many definitions and concepts of culture. 

Culture is the totality of what a group is known for. Anozie 

(1999:91) posits that “Obviously, in order to know a people 

correctly, the knowledge of almost all things they do is very 

important. The central issue in this probe is not only just how they 

do things, but more, the reason for what they do. The knowing of 

why and necessarily how, puts one in an objective position to 

appreciating others...” Akpulu (2021:203) maintains that, “... 

people’s culture is how they live as a group of people and what is 

used to identify them.” Ayton-Shenker (1995) in Eseyin and Udoh 

(2015:71) posits that, “Culture is one of the prime source of identity 

and a great deal of self-definition and expression, therefore 

fundamental values, traditions and cultures which are familiar to a 

common set of people, give a secure sense of one’s identity.”            

Williams in Anozie (1999:93) notes four way development of the 

term culture thus:    

Broadly, the concept 

of culture was 

developed in four 

ways, all of which still 

affects its meaning. 

First, culture came to 

mean “a general state 

or habit of the mind,” 

with close relations to 

the idea of human 

perfection. Second, it 

came to mean “a 



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general state of 

intellectual and moral 

development in a 

society as a whole.” 

Thirdly, it came to 

mean “the general 

body of arts and 

intellectual work.” 

Fourth, it came to 

mean, “the whole way 

of life, material, 

intellectual, and 

spiritual, of a given 

society.         

Williams points out that all these efforts show humankind’s 

endeavour to show new ways of human social, moral and 

intellectual development. This equally depicts the changing nature 

of life. The researcher therefore believes that, since the nature of life 

can change, any cultural practice that militates against the human 

rights should be adjusted. This in effect will enhance the overall 

security and development in the society.         

2.3 Interconnectivity between Language and Culture    

Language and culture are interdependent. Language is an aspect of 

culture. Members of society live out their culture using language. 

Since culture is a particular group of people’s way of life, their 

beliefs, crafts and everything they are known for, then their language 

if a conveying factor towards achieving all these. Isidienu and Ibeh 

(2020:229) concur with this when they opine that “Language is one 

of the main tools or instruments by which values, norms, belief 

system, technology and cultural practices of any society are 

communicated.” Writing on the interrelationship between language 



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and culture, Paz (2014) believes that since language is central to 

identity, one’s freedom to use one’s language is  seen as ‘inherent’ 

in the ‘dignity of the human person’ and thus falls within the ambit 

of human rights law. Wolff (2006) observes that, the function which 

language serves in the society cannot be ovrelooked. The cultural 

values, history and realities are transmitted through language.      

2.4 Human Rights   
Human rights are rights  and freedom which human beings should 

enjoy because they are human beings. They apply regardless of 

where one comes from, what one believes or how one choose to live 

his life. Oghenefavwe (2021) asserts that, “As a basic principle of 

rule of law, human rights and freedom are acceptable as part of 

culture of some nations, eg. Great Britain, India, etc, while in other 

nations (like Nigeria, United States of America, Ghana, etc) they are 

enshrined in their constitutions.” When entrenched in the 

constitution, it shows high level of sincerity to respect these rights. 

According to Edwin, Shorts and Than (2001) in Afunadulla (2005), 

the Universal Declaration of  Human Rights (UDHR), adopted by 

the United Nations on December 10th, 1948, is based on the human 

diginity and worth inherent in the person, and the principle that the 

human person is the central subject of human rights and fundamental 

freedoms.    

Human rights are also defined as the rights people are 

entitled to simply because they are human beings, irrespective of 

their citizenship, nationality, race, ethnicity, language, sex, 

sexuality, or abilities: human rights become enforceable when they 

are codified as convetions, covenants, or treaties, or as they become 

recognized as customary international laws, (gbgm-

umc.org/umw/education/glossary.html). This definition shows the 

universality of human rights. Igboin (2011) concurs with this as he 

declears that human rights have been defined as the rational basis 



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for a justified demand. What constitutes demand should be 

understood as that which is different from favour or privilege but 

one’s due, free from radical, religious, gender, political inclinations. 

This entails that human rights enforcement is never a prefrential 

treatment or an honour granted to an individual or group, instead, it 

is what ordinarily should be obtainable.   

Human rights conventions, declarations and acts all attempt 

to guarantee human decent treatment and protection against 

discrimination and all sorts of abuse. There are three human rights 

principles. They are, first, human rights are interdependent and 

indivisible. This principle connotes that all human rights have equal 

standing, and none of the rights is more important than another. 

Guaranteeing one right is not the same as guaranteeing all, and abuse 

of one human right is abuse on others as well. Secondly, human 

rights are inalienable, meaning that human rights are completely 

unconditional. They don’t have to be bought or earned, and they 

cannot be taken away for any reason, by any person, group or 

institution. Lastly, human rights are universal. This means that all 

human beings in the world have human rights. Though, whether this 

is upheld is debatable. But all states have the duty to protect the 

human rights of their citizens, Soken-Huberty (2018).     

Human rights are very necessary as it is a means of 

protection for all especially for those who may experience abuse, 

neglect and isolation. Human rights also allow people to stand up to 

societal corruption. This means that people can speak up when they 

experience abuse and corruption. This is why specific rights like the 

right to assemble are so important because no society is perfect. The 

concept of human rights educates and empowers people and tells 

them that they deserve dignity from society. Human right helps to 

hold the government accountable, Soken-Huberty (2018).     

 



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2.5 Reasons for the Emergency of Human Rights   

The horrific events and experiences of the Second World War 

(WW11) opened the eyes of the world that certainly humans are not 

being treated equally. In the opinion of Futurelearn (2021), the mass 

genocide of Jews, as well as the murder of many disabled and 

LGBTQ+ people during the holocaust, was a harsh wake-up call for 

the world leaders. Obviously, human rights have merely existed 

formally for about 200 years, but before that, there were no real laws 

to ensure people are treated fairly reagardless of things like race, 

gender, age, and religion. After the creation of UN which was in 

1945, the member states under the umbrella of the Universal 

Declaration of Human rights came together to create the list of 

human rights. This move was guided by American diplomat and first 

lady then, Eleanor Roosevelt. This document was revolutionary as 

it was the first time UN members states acknowledged that all 

human beings are born the same and so they deserved the same 

rights, regardless of circumstances. Oghenefavwe (2021:66-67) 

agrees that “The UN Declaration of Universal Human Rights has 

become a landmark declaration in the history and politics of global 

emancipation struggle. ... No people struggling for human rights and 

genuine democracy can consciously deny themselves the 

inspirartion, vision and wisdom embodied in every sentence of that 

world historical declaration.”          

According to United Nations (UN) document, some human rights 

contained also in 1999 Nigerian Constitution include:        

       

1.All humans are born equal before the law.         

      

2. Nobody should be treated like a slave.         

       



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3. Nobody has the right to torture another.       

       

4. The law is the same for everyone.        

     

5. Freedom of speech and expression.        

       

6. Right to citizenship.           

       

7. Right to freedom of movement.          

         8. If anyone is hurt, the person can 

go to another country and ask for       protection.           

9. Right to work, choose the type of work to do and get paid fairly.  

      

10. Right to vote and be votted for.      

Considering the above explanations, when the human rights are 

violated instead of respected or protected, the result is human rights 

abuse. Human rights abuse is violation of the basic rights of people 

by treating them wrongly.  This abuse could be either physical or 

verbal maltreatment and can come up in many ways. For instance, 

in as much as there is freedom of speech and expression, the use of 

insulting speech or abusive language violates human right as it 

demeans the intergrity of the concerned human. In the case of a 

group, it can instigate insecurity.           

 

3. Theoretical Framework   

3.1 Natural Law          

         The natural right law was developed by 

classical Greek philosophers, such as Aristotle and Plato, but the 

concept was more fully developed by Thamos Aquinas in his 

Summa Theologica. Natural law is a philosophical theory that states 

that humans have certain rights, moral, values and responsibilities 



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that are inherent in human nature. The emergence of human rights 

from the natural rights tradition did not come without opposition as 

some argued that rights could only come from the law of a particular 

society and could not come from any natural or inherent source. 

Natural law states that there are behaviours that are naturally right 

or wrong because God ordained it so. What was naturally right could 

be ascertained by humans as good or right by thinking properly. 

Then what is bad should be condemned because it is unnatural. Any 

action that distorts human nature is also generally condemned as 

evil. This implies that nature intends man to behave in certain ways 

and to do certain things. Olaposi (2018:76) agrees that “Natural law 

refers to the principle inherent to man which tells him that what is 

fair, good, impartial, right and just.”   

Hugo Grotius in Heard (1997:103) further expanded on this 

notion where he propounds the immutability of what is naturally 

right or wrong thus,    

 Now the law of nature is so 

unalterable, that it cannot 

be changed even by God 

himself. For although 

although the power of 

God is infinite, yet there 

are somethings, to which 

it does not extend. ...Thus 

two and two must make 

four, nor it is possible 

otherwise; nor, again, can 

what is really evil not be 

evil.     

 



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3.2 Strength of Natural Law      

   

Natural law is important because it is applied to moral, political and 

ethical system today. It has played a large role in the history of 

political and philosophical theory and has been used to understand 

and discuss human nature.The development of the concept of equity, 

human rights, and democracy across the globe. It is universal and 

absolute so, it is always relevant. It allows for a clear cut approach 

to morality and establishes common rules.    

3.3 Demerits of Natural Law          
         This theory is based solely on right 

reasoning, which is a criterion that cannot be verified through 

empirical scutiny. There is what is called ‘the multiple-conscience 

problem.’ That is to say, different individuals   have 

explanations for, and what is right and wrong ... Olaposi (2018).    

Natural law stresses ‘what ought to be done’ and not necessarily 

‘what is done.’        

 

4. Cultural Practices that Violate Human Rights in Igbo 

land   

Cultural and traditional practices have long played crucial roles in 

Igbo society and continue to influence many aspect of life in the 

Igbo nation. Cultural institutions like kindred, daughters of the 

patrilineage ụmụada, masquerade cult among others in Igbo land, 

for instance have been very useful in promoting the Igbo culture. 

Cultural practices like iru mgbede (for young madiens) and ịwa 

akwa (for young men) have historically provided training for young 

adults in the pre-colonial era before formal education structures.     

However, it has been observed that some cultural practices 

common to many Igbo cultural communities have significant 

negative impact(s) on the exercise and enjoyment of fundamental 



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human rights. Some of these cultural practices include female 

genital mutilation, widowhood rites, servile marriage like trokosi, 

abuse of children, osu caste system, wife inheritance, women dis-

inheritance, early and forced marriage among others. These harmful 

cultural practices discriminate more  against women and children 

and inflict injury to their person and dignity. These dehumanising 

practices differ from one community to another. Examples include,    

4.1 Widowhood Practices     
The widowhood practices are those cultural practices and rites 

married women are subjected to when their husbands die. The Igbo 

custom expects the widow to mourn the dead husband for one year. 

The woman is secluded from others and do not partake in social 

activities as a result of observing the widowhood rites. In some 

cases, the widow is subjected to sit on a tattered mat and wear a 

particular mourning attire usually an old tattered cloth. She would 

not change or wash the cloth until the last day of the twelve days 

izunaatọ when the cloth and mat will be burnt. The widow would 

then change to a black mourning cloth. (Akpulu, 2016).  Sometimes, 

a woman is subjected to drink water used to bath the corpse of the 

husband just to prove her innocence. This is in a case whereby the 

woman is alleged to have killed the husband and in an attempt to 

prove her innocence. Ogbazi and Orabueze (2013:14 -15) assert this 

thus “... if the husband’s relations do not suspect her of killing him. 

If they do, she can be forced to swear an oath or drink the water used 

in washing the corpse in the order to prove her innocence.” A refusal 

to drink the water will be a further and complete proof of her guilt, 

therefore such women go through the ordeal which may eventually 

affect their health.     

It is also obtainable in some other cultures that when a man 

dies, the surviving wife or wives are subjected to dehumanising 

funeral rites. Every hair on the body is clearly shaven, unfortunately 



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by fellow women, and forbidden to see the light of the day for some 

period proscribed by custom, Adedeji in Eseyin and Udoh 

(2015:76). Even while women are encouraged to reject these 

obnoxious practices, some of them for fear of being haunted by their 

deceased husband’s ghosts, would themselves demand for the rites; 

consequence of a myth that has been indoctrinated in their cultural 

consciousness. Hence, the call for continuous re-orientations of 

these women especially those in the rural communities. This will 

enable them acknowlege that they deserve their rights to the dignity 

of human persons and those rights as granted by nature and coded 

in the law should be protected.            

Because of Christian influence, there has been reformations 

and modifications in widowhood practices in most communities in 

Igbo land. For instance, the mourning period has been reduced to six 

– three months, wearing of black for mourning changed to white, 

and no longer total isolation of the widow.  But surely, it has been 

observed that in some communities, the obnoxious treatment 

associated with widowhood rites still persist. For instance, in Igbo 

widowhood rites, though Christians are more in number than the 

traditional religionists presently, their movements are still restricted 

upon the death of their husbands. The human right abused here is 

the right to the dignity of human person, principle of non-

discrimination and torture which customary international law 

protects, Eseyin and Udoh (2015). Any woman who failed to 

observe the restriction in movement is percieved as nonchalant. 

Sometimes, this alone leads to allegation that the woman is the cause 

of the husband’s death.  A woman was alleged to have killed the 

husband because the man died on the cause of sexual intercourse 

with the wife in Aguleri community  of Igbo land. The woman was 

paraded round the village naked.       

4.2 Women Dis-Inheritance    



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Obviously, women disinheritance is an Igbo custom that has 

remained adamant to change. The arduous condition of a widow 

does not end with the burial of the husband. She is yet to battle with 

the discriminatory and humiliating treatment from the husband’s 

family. Common in the past are cases where uncles or brothers to 

the deceased dispose the widows of their husbands’ property. 

Ogbazi and Orabueze (2013:16) assert that “In the past, one of her 

husband’s brother will inherit her. If she is lucky, he will take care 

of her and her children; if she is not, he will simply divest her and 

her young children of her husband’s property, particularly houses, 

land and economic trees.” The widow is not permitted to be present 

when the landed properties are shared as obtains in Igbo custom. 

Even if she has young sons, they will not be there at the sharing. It 

is only where the sons of the deceased have grown up that they will 

inherit their father’s property. By imlpication, the widow losses the 

landed properties to her husband’s uncles and brothers if she has 

only girl child or children.  In some cases,  the uncles and brothers 

of the deceased will pretend they are merely holding the properties 

for the young sons of their brother. But when the time is ripe to 

return the properties, they will sieze them to the detriment of their 

dead brother’s nuclear family. The widow is dissuaded from going 

to court in order to avoid sanctions such bold step can incur her as 

well as her children. Then, such widow in her despicable condition 

finds it very difficult to raise her young children. This exposes the 

woman and her children to insecurity while some unguided among 

them eventually end up being notorious elements in the society. 

Though, this is not as prevalent as it used to be in the nineteenth and 

twentieth centuries, it still obtains in some remote communities.      

Women dis-inhertance in Igbo land affects the Igbo woman 

as a wife, a daughter – married or unmarried, married but childless 

or has only female children. Whatever a man has in his lifetime 



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belongs to his male children. The girl child is not included in 

property sharing. There is a belief that when the girl marries, she 

will not take anything to the husband because she will get new 

properties from the husband. Remember that when the same 

husband dies, the woman is divested of those properties if she has 

no grown up male children. Ajayi (2021) posits that the  custom 

around inheritance in Igbo land is in favour of men, and is unlikely 

to change soon. Ogbazi and Orabueze (2013:18) concur that “... 

because it has permeated the mindset of the people – men and 

women, educated and uneducated, young and old, married and 

single – for they condone it and are not in a hurry to do away with 

it.” This is true because, not even Christianity, education or 

constitutional provisions have eliminated this discriminatory 

custom against women. It is observed that a rich father can buy land 

for the daughter in the city as a wedding gift probably during idu 

ụnọ in Igbo custom; but the land must never be one inherited from 

his forefathers.  

4.3 Forced and Early Marriage    

Another cultural practice that abuses human rights is forced and 

early marriage. Through home training and education in Igbo 

cultural setting, young girls are taught that marriage is good and 

early marriage more desirable.  This avails the required foundation 

for early marriage. It can be at the age of 14 or 15 when these girls 

are yet to be fully matured physically, psychologically and 

emotionally. They embrace this teaching and as very young wives, 

they give birth when they are not yet fully developed to go through 

the rigorous experience of child birth. In most cases, they may end 

up having prolonged and difficult labour and probably die in the 

process. Worst still, it may result to ruptured bladder and the victim 

ends up with Vesico Vagina Festula (VVF). Obviously, this is a very 

humiliating health condition which makes them to leak and smell 



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urine, thereby, always go about with urine bags under them. Their 

husbands will marry another wives and their parents may reject them 

thus they become outcast and insecured even among their people. 

Despite condemnations, early and forced marriage has continued in 

some Igbo communities. It is observed that some young girls who 

got pregnant outside marriage are still being forced into marriages 

with men old enough to be their fathers or even grandfathers. Cases 

also reoccour where people give out under aged daughters in 

marriage because of poverty. These youngsters go into the forced 

unions to suffer with no one to rescue them.      

Again, Yoruba people have servile marriage in which a 

virgin girl is offered to serve and appease the gods for a crime such 

as murder committed by a family member. Asomah (2015) avers 

thus “The trokosi system is an African traditional religious practice 

that exist in Ghana, Benin, Togo and in Yoruba land in Nigeria.” It 

means that harmful cultural practices are not peculiar to 

communities in  Igbo land but also obtain in other African 

communities. These cultural practices are not only dehumanising 

but aslo abuse on human rights and should be condemned and 

discarded.         

The victims of these abuses are mainly women and children 

especially the girls. Most of these practices are traditional religious 

practices. Bilyeu (1999:459) agrees with this as he asserts that 

“States will often justify discrimination and noncompliance with 

human rights conventions on the basis of custom or cultural 

practices.” Hernandez-Truyol in Bilyeu (1999:459) concurs that 

“Using religion to justify practices that many believe are violations 

of human rights standards is not a new concept.” National Human 

Rights Commission has found out that culture most often becomes 

an avenue  in which serious crime are committed against humanity, 



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and the perpetrators often go unpunished due to their precieved 

cultural attributes.     

4.4 Language and Abuse of Human Rights      

Nigeria has the English language as her official language and 

deemed more prestigious than over 350 languages in Nigeria. 

Irrespective of the fact that there is no ethnic group in Nigeria whose 

native language is English.  Some people particularly Igbo   people 

now take the English language to be more prestigious than other 

native languages. Consequently such people do not speak their 

native language to their children. This makes the affected children 

to feel unsafe and as strangers whenever they mingle with their peers 

or people that speak the Igbo language. As Paz (2014) rightly states 

that since language is central to identity, one’s freedom to use one’s 

language is seen as ‘inherent’ in the dignity of the human person’, 

and thus falls within the ambit of human rights. In this case, those 

children are  denied the right to learn, speak and use their native 

language. One of the characteristics of language is that it is not 

inherited but learn. As a result, children learn so easily the language 

of their orientation.    

Moreso, derogatory language can violate human rights and 

instigate insecurity. Instance is the president Buhari’s hate speech 

against Igbo people on June 10 2021 in an interview with the Arise 

TV broadcast. Pesident Buhari states that Indigineous People of 

Biafra is like a dot in a circle and will have no where to go if allowed 

to exit,  judging the manner they are spread all over the country. This 

is as the country is experiencing the highest level of insecurity. 

Statement like this instead of curbing insecurity rather heightened 

the tension in the land. The president maintains in his negiligence 

for human rights “In any case, we say we will talk to them in the 

language they understand. We will organise the police and the 



Language, Culture and Human Rights Abuse in Igbo Land  - Akpulu 

 

116 

 

military to pursue them.” Statements as this against a group of 

people can spur social unrest. The proper approach should have been 

to call the group for a round table discussion where prerogative 

language will be used to address the situation.     

The Nigeria Human Rights Commission serves as an extra-

judiciary mechanism for the respect and enjoyment of human rights. 

It also provides avenues for public enlightenment, research, and 

dialogue in order to raise awareness on human rights issues.              

4.5 Findings            

Findings show that most cultural practices against human rights are 

traditional religious practices. National Human Rights Commission 

has found out that culture most often becomes an avenue in which 

serious crimes are committed against humanity, and the perpetrators 

often go unpunished due to their precieved cultural attributes.          

 Among the findings also is that women and  children are the 

most vulnerable. They undergo widowhood practices, affected by 

early and forced marriage, and suffer women dis-inheritance. It also 

reveals that most of those cultural practices that violate human rights 

had come into serious confrontations and modified, but some like 

dehumanising widowhood rites still persists especially in the rural 

communities.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

From the findings, it is evident that religious organisations, 

the National Human Rights Commission, human rights activists, and 

some none governmental agencies contribute to educating and 

redirecting the people to understand their rights and possible ways 

to seek redress when their rights are violated. Though, more still 

need to be done.           

 

 



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5. Conclusion                                             

Language and culture as components of the society and their 

interrelationships make them very essential tools to foster human 

rights. It therefore means that any cultural practices that militate 

against human rights instead of enhancing it should be jettisoned. 

Human rights as inherent from nature should be protected and 

guarded and it is the responsibility of all well meaning members of 

the society. People should stop hiding under traditional or cultural 

practices to perpetrate evil as any  cultural practices that do not 

foster human rights, abuse it. Igbo people should reach a consensus 

and do away with all customs that violate human rights especially 

those practices that dehumanise women. Some of the obnoxious 

practices against human rights had been adjusted as mentioned 

earlier but a lot still need to be done, for instance, in widowhood 

practices among rural dwellers. Women particularly the educated 

ones should help to sensitise their fellow women to stand for their 

rights. The women should strive to liberate themselves from the 

shackles of obnoxious traditional practises against them.                     

The state should on their side be sincere enough to bring to 

book any violator of human rights. Punishing violators of human 

rights will go a long way to  deter potential offenders. The 

government need to step up on their fight against Boko Haram, 

banditry, unknown gunmen and others who torture, kill, and trample 

on human rights of the citizens with impunity. This will restore 

dignity of human life, peace and security not only in Igbo land but 

also in the country.      

 

 

 

 

 



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