TRADITIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND MANAGEMENT OF INSECURITY: A STUDY OF COMMUNITY BASED PEACE-DEALS IN ZAMFARA STASTE. NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examines the role of traditional institutions in negotiating and sustaining community-based peace deals amid dynamic insecurity in Zamfara State, Nigeria. The state has experienced persistent rural violence, including armed banditry, farmer-herder conflicts, cattle rustling and communal clashes, which have strained formal security and governance structures. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research draws on key informant interviews, and thematic analysis to explore how traditional rulers, councils of elders, and community leaders engage in mediation, dialogue, reconciliation, and compensation to de-escalate conflicts and restore social order. The study guided by the Structural Functionalism to explain how traditional institutions function as stabilising mechanisms within rural social systems despite limited statutory authority. Findings indicate that traditional peace deals remain culturally legitimate, accessible, and effective in addressing local grievances, particularly where state institutions are weak or distant. However, their effectiveness is constrained by the proliferation of small arms, political interference, and erosion of traditional authority under conditions of insecurity.