The Ondo State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Olukayode Ajulo, has warned traditional rulers against turning their palaces into courts or detention centres.
Ajulo issued the warning on Wednesday in Akure during a three-day workshop organised for traditional rulers by the state Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs.
The workshop, themed “Repositioning the Traditional Institution for Harmonious Communal Relationship, Security, Cultural Preservation and Sustainable Development”, focused on strengthening the role of traditional institutions in community development and security.
Ajulo urged traditional rulers to exercise their authority within the limits of the Constitution and other applicable laws.
He said traditional rulers operate within a constitutional democracy and must understand the distinction between customary authority and powers legally reserved for courts, the police and other statutory institutions.
According to him, the Constitution does not establish traditional rulers as a “fourth arm of government”, although it recognises the role traditional institutions can play in local governance and community development.
He urged traditional rulers to focus on their roles as custodians of history and culture, symbols of communal identity, peace-builders, mediators and community mobilisers.
Ajulo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said traditional institutions should not be regarded as alternative courts or government agencies.
He specifically warned against using palaces as detention centres or criminal courts, stressing that allegations of criminal conduct should be handled by legally authorised law-enforcement agencies.
“An Oba should not order the indefinite detention of a person because that person is accused of stealing, insulting the palace, owing money, violating a community rule or participating in a dispute,” he said.
Call for mediation and fair hearing
Ajulo urged traditional rulers to identify criminal conduct, help maintain peace, provide relevant information and work with the appropriate authorities rather than investigating, detaining or punishing suspects themselves.
He also stressed the importance of fair hearing in traditional administration, saying a traditional ruler did not lose dignity by giving all parties to a dispute an opportunity to be heard.
The commissioner encouraged traditional institutions to use mediation and customary arbitration where appropriate, but said such processes must be voluntary and clearly distinguished from formal judicial proceedings.
He further cautioned traditional rulers against using customary authority to justify self-help in disputes involving alleged land grabbing, intimidation, forcible entry or illegal occupation.
Ajulo advised traditional institutions to help maintain peace and refer such matters to the appropriate statutory agencies, including the Anti-Land Grabbing Task Force where applicable.
He also called on traditional rulers to play a stronger role in the state’s security architecture by providing credible community intelligence to the government and security agencies.
According to him, closer cooperation between traditional institutions and statutory authorities would strengthen community security while ensuring that customary authority remained within the boundaries of the law.
