Autocratic legitimacy extended to powerful individuals and groups in the society subverts criminal laws in Nigeria. The Nigerian penal system derives its fundamental ideas from the British legal system, customary laws, and Islamic sharia laws. Like in many other societies, crime and punishment in Nigeria can be more objectively explored when viewed against the role of socioeconomic power and political influence on arrests and confinement. This entry points out that uneven notions of crime and punishment in Nigeria limit the accurate application of penal sanctions.