The Role of Traditional Conflict Resolution Mechanisms in Local Peacebuilding in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria: A Qualitative Case Study.

Traditional conflict resolution remains an important component of local peace governance inmany Nigerian communities, yet its contemporary operation cannot be understood solely throughclaims of cultural legitimacy or accessibility. This study examines how the Otaru-in-Councilfunctions as a local peacebuilding institution in Auchi, Edo State, with attention to itsmechanisms, perceived contributions, inclusionary limits and interaction with formal justiceinstitutions. The study examines the structure and functions of the Otaru-in-Council, identifiesthe conflict resolution mechanisms employed, assesses their perceived advantages andchallenges, and considers conditions for constructive interaction between traditional and formaljustice systems. A qualitative case study design was adopted. Primary evidence was obtainedthrough in-depth semi-structured interviews with 30 purposively selected participants comprisingtraditional rulers and palace officials, senior chiefs and elders, ward and quarter heads, youthrepresentatives, women representatives, civil society actors and community residents. Two non-participant observations of open dispute-resolution sessions and documentary materialssupplemented the interviews. Data were analysed thematically, with triangulation, memberchecking and thick description used to strengthen trustworthiness. Mediation, reconciliationrituals, adjudication, consensus-building and arbitration were reported as principal mechanisms.Participants associated the traditional institution with cultural legitimacy, relatively low cost,accessibility, speed and restoration of social relations. At the same time, respondents reportedgender exclusion, weak documentation, political interference, elite bias, limited enforcementcapacity and tensions with formal law. The findings suggest that the contribution of the Otaru-in-Council to local peacebuilding is conditioned by both legitimacy and institutional safeguards.The Otaru-in-Council should be understood neither as a substitute for the state justice system noras an inherently effective institution. Its peacebuilding significance lies in its embeddedness inlocal social relations and its capacity to convene disputants, while its limitations arise partly fromexclusion, politicisation and uncertain interfaces with formal law. Reforms should clarify referraland jurisdictional boundaries, strengthen documentation, widen women’s and youthparticipation, develop human-rights and procedural capacity, and establish practical coordinationbetween customary and formal institutions without eroding the authority that makes localmechanisms socially meaningful.