Èmú (àmúyá): the Yoruba institution of panyarring or seizure for debt

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Periodical article

Title:	Èmú (àmúyá): the Yoruba institution of panyarring or seizure for debt
Author:	Ojo, Olatunji
Year:	2007
Periodical:	African Economic History
Volume:	35
Pages:	31-58
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Nigeria
Subjects:	Yoruba debt loans
External link:	https://www.jstor.org/stable/25427033
Abstract:	This article on the Yoruba institution of 'èmú' (panyarring, or the illegal seizure for sale of people) examines the nexus between kinship, commerce and trade trusts. It outlines the ideology underlying panyarring in Yorubaland (Nigeria), which was related to pawnship, and the spread of panyarring in the second half of the 19th century. It then discusses the precolonial credit system, and shows that failure to settle debts was the major cause of panyarring. Apart from commercial debt, some cases of panyarring originated in social issues, such as marital disputes and offences for which redress was sought. The role of ethnicity, age and gender in credit operations and panyarring is analysed, as well as protective mechanisms used to avoid captivity. The fear of seizure meant that traders avoided unsafe routes and chose to travel in caravans. Moreover, the costs for borrowing were high because of the risks involved. The article argues that the application of panyarring to non-trade conflicts demonstrates its adaptability and probable origin in local customs. Notes, ref. [ASC Leiden abstract]