ABSTRACT
The insecurity in the South-West of Nigeria is partly perceived as an effect of the declining authority of the traditional rulers over their domains. This has informed this study to examine the security architecture in this region since the pre-colonial era. This essay adopts a descriptive research design with the South-West of Nigeria as the population. The data was sourced from secondary sources inclusive of relevant books, journals, internet sources, and key informant interviews. It argues that the power of the traditional rulers in the pre-colonial era was derived from adherence to respected cultural norms and values that enhanced the security. In addition, the power of the traditional rulers over security suffered a setback during colonialism, as the colonisers possessed the final authority. The influence of traditional rulers on security matter further dwindled under post-independence governments since they operated in an advisory capacity while internal security is the responsibility of the Nigerian Police and other security forces. The study recommends constitutional roles with checks for traditional rulers, while they should desist from unwholesome practices that tarnish the integrity of their offices. In addition, the undue proliferation of chieftaincy titles and politicization of the office by governments should be discouraged, as these will enhance the capacity of the traditional rulers to contribute positively to security.
