Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has signed an Executive Order to regulate the registration, coordination, and operations of vigilante groups and other community-based security organizations in the state. The governor warned against ethnic profiling and activities capable of heightening tension.
Details of the Executive Order
The order, titled Executive Order No. 001 of 2026, was signed during a briefing at the governor’s Kolapo Ishola private residence in Ibadan on Wednesday. Top security officials and government functionaries attended the event.
Those present included Deputy Governor Barrister Adebayo Lawal; Special Adviser on Security, Mr Abayomi Fagbenro; Executive Assistant on Security, Compol Sunday Odukoya; Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga; and the NSCDC Commandant in Oyo State, among others.
Reasons for the Order
Governor Makinde stated that the decision became necessary due to emerging security challenges across the country and the need to prevent abuse by unregulated local security outfits. He emphasized that while community participation in security is encouraged, such efforts must operate within a clear legal framework to avoid escalation of ethnic or communal conflicts.
“For emphasis, we must avoid at all costs anything that can lead to ethnic tension where people that do not know how issues come about, or because they are from a certain ethnic group, become a target,” the governor said.
He warned that the state would not tolerate any group forming under the guise of security operations only to engage in ethnic profiling or confrontation. “We do not want people forming groups, associations, in the name of security, and then on that basis they start ethnic profiling and ethnic confrontation,” Makinde added.
Broader Security Efforts
The governor noted that the regulation is part of broader efforts to strengthen the state’s security architecture and ensure peace across all communities. He also assured residents that the government is intensifying efforts, in collaboration with security agencies, to rescue abducted teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area.
Makinde said the administration understands the anxiety caused by recent security incidents and is working round the clock to ensure the safe return of victims.
Attorney-General's Remarks
Earlier, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Abiodun Aikomo, said the executive order is designed to ensure accountability and proper monitoring of all groups engaged in security-related activities. He noted that the increasing number of informal security groups necessitated regulation to prevent abuse and unintended consequences.
Aikomo disclosed that any group involved in security operations with more than five members must formally notify the Office of the Governor through the Special Adviser on Security. Existing groups have 72 hours to comply, after which they will be documented and issued certificates for recognition.
He warned that failure to comply would attract legal consequences, including prosecution. The Office of the Special Adviser on Security, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Oyo State Police Command have been mandated to enforce compliance.
Aikomo further cautioned against unregulated security operations, noting that such actions could worsen insecurity rather than resolve it. He reaffirmed that the government remains committed to protecting lives and property while ensuring that security efforts are coordinated, lawful, and effective.
