INHERITANCE MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY: A CASE STUDY OF Z AND S INHERITANCE COMMITTEE IN LAGOS OF NIGERIA

Abstract

Although the unprecedented level of unclaimed inheritance attracted the attention of legal and religious scholars across Muslim majority countries, concern over inheritance, however, took a global dimension when Musawah, a feminist movement began a deliberate misrepresentation of accountability in Islamic inheritance. This paper, therefore, investigated the administrative capacity, the perceived level of accountability and the challenges faced by a Lagos based Shari’ah compliant inheritance distribution committee. To actualise these objectives, a case study approach was adopted using semi-structured interview for data collection. The findings suggest perceived reasonable level of accountability by the Shari’ah based distribution approach, the need for a committee with full time, the need to create awareness on importance of Will preparation and the need for probate service at Area courts. The study contributes to the existing literature on accountability through application of Khalifah concept to explain issue of accountability in Islamic inheritance. Apart from serving as a call for legal reformation and a guide to future researchers, the result should help members of committees on inheritance in all geo-political regions of the Nigeria.

Keywords

• Inheritance Committee
• Khalifah Concept
• Estate Distribution
• Musawah