Abstract
Prison is a special place where people are detained mainly as punishment, awaiting trial or as correctional measure. It is part and parcel of human civilization world over including Hausaland. The control of prison was always in the hands of the authority- Sarki or Emir and who in turn deploy guards (dogarai) to manage the system. It is generally referred to as Gidan Yari and the person in charge of it was called the Yari, a title usually held by a person of servile origin in the emirate(s) prior to colonial rule. Information on the extent and conditions of pre-colonial prisons is still inadequate. Available colonial records portrayed the conditions of pre-colonial prisons badly and their number few. Colonialism with its attendant effects also dawned on the prison system both in terms of administration and building of many new prisons. These new „modern‟ prisons were built both in major cities and rural areas unlike what obtained in the past. This paper explores the establishment and administration of prisons in Zazzau Emirate and its surrounding district areas from 1902 to 1968.
Keywords: Establishment, Administration, Prisons, Zazzau Emirate
DOI: 10.36349/sokotojh.2022.v11i01.009
