ABSTRACT
The seeming failure of formal and conventional approaches to conflict and security problems in Nigeria has provoked reviews and proposals that support the resuscitation and return of indigenous knowledge systems and traditional African conflict strategies. It is against this background that the historical and changing roles of traditional authorities in security management is examined in this paper as complementary and additional layers. Based on a case study of the Benin area, one of the most traditionally resilient parts of the country, this paper shows that, notwithstanding political and social changes, traditional mechanisms continue to play crucial roles in managing security problems, including those arising from cultism, human trafficking, land conflicts, farmer-herder conflicts, and kidnapping, which have engulfed the Benin area in the recent past. The traditional mechanisms mainly involve cursing, rituals, and spiritual processes under the authority of the Oba, and not only complement the more formal and conventional efforts of government, but also serve as handles of last resort when the conventional efforts prove inadequate or fail. However, the effectiveness of traditional authorities ultimately depends on the level of support enjoyed from the state.
