This article discusses the subject of widows'
sepulchral rights in sub-Saharan Africa,
specifically focusing on a widow's right to
determine the time, place and manner of her
husband's burial. In customary law in
Nigeria, the right of burial belongs to the
family as a whole, and it is rare that a
widow will be the head of family and have
control over burial rights. On the contrary,
she is often regarded as chattel. Although
customary law is partly to blame, the issue
also stems from statutes and common law
inherited from England. One remedy is to