Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has signed Executive Order No. 001 of 2026 regulating the registration, coordination, and operations of vigilante groups, associations, and organisations involved in security-related activities across the state.
The governor said the move became necessary to strengthen security coordination, prevent abuse by unregulated groups, and avoid ethnic confrontation amid rising insecurity in parts of the country.
Makinde signed the executive order during a press briefing held at his Kolapo Ishola private residence in Ibadan, where top security officials and government functionaries were present.
The governor thanked residents for remaining calm and cooperating with security agencies as the state continues to navigate the current security threat and efforts to rescue the abducted teachers and students of Yawota and Ahoro-Esinele High School in Oriire Local Government.
The governor also warned against ethnic profiling and the targeting of innocent residents under the guise of fighting crime.
“For emphasis, we must avoid at all costs anything that can lead to ethnic tension where people who do not know how issues come about, or because they are from a certain ethnic group, become a target,” Makinde warned.
Speaking further, he said, “Yes, we do not want criminals in Oyo State, so if you see any criminal activities, anyone perpetrating such activities, please report to us. We will act.”
He stressed that the state government would not tolerate the formation of illegal security groups engaging in ethnic confrontation, which may further deepen division among residents in the state.
“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,” he added.
“If you have any legal reasons to set up or engage in a security type of work, let us know. The government is here to give the necessary support.”
Makinde reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the state’s security architecture and ensuring peace across Oyo State.
Governor Makinde said the regulation formed part of his administration’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property in the state.
The governor also addressed the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, assuring residents that the government was intensifying efforts to rescue the victims safely while appealing for continued support and cooperation from the public.
“Let me also use this opportunity to once again talk about the painful incidents involving the abduction of students and teachers in the Oriire Local Government Area.
“We understand the anxiety and emotional burden that this has placed on families, communities, and the people of Oyo State,” he said.
Makinde assured residents that security agencies were working tirelessly to secure the release of the abducted teachers and students in Oriire local government.
Speaking earlier, the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo, explained that the order was designed to ensure accountability and proper monitoring of groups offering security services within the state.
Aikomo said the current security challenges facing Nigeria had made it necessary for governments to regulate community-based security operations to avoid unintended consequences.
“The importance of security in any community or society cannot be overemphasised, and the current situation in Nigeria with respect to security is known to everybody,” he said.
“So, we are currently battling challenges relating to security in Nigeria. Under the 1999 Constitution, the welfare of the people and security are the primary purposes of governance.”
He noted that while citizens have the right to support government efforts in securing their communities, such efforts must operate within a lawful framework.
“Citizens of the state are also under obligation to see to the security of society because society is connected and interwoven. The government provides leadership for the people, and the people are also stakeholders,” he stated.
According to him, the government had observed an increase in the number of groups springing up under the guise of providing local security and self-defence services.
He warned that without proper regulation, some of the groups could become problematic and worsen insecurity.
“In the name of security and trying to self-defence and help ourselves and help the state, we have witnessed an upsurge of groups coming up with objectives of regulating security across the state,” Aikomo said.
“Sometimes, when there is a problem in society, and there is no regulated system or programme of action, it may create more problems than we are trying to solve.”
The attorney general disclosed that the executive order now makes it mandatory for all groups involved in security activities and having more than five members to formally notify the Office of the Governor through the Special Adviser on Security.
He said such groups would thereafter be documented and issued certificates for recognition and monitoring purposes.
“No matter where you are across the length and breadth of Oyo State, if you want to assist the government to handle security challenges and you have a group of more than five people, you are under a duty to notify the Office of the Governor.
“Those who are already existing and offering such services have 72 hours to notify the Office of the Governor, and they also will be documented and issued a certificate,” he said.
Aikomo added that the regulation would help the government identify anyone operating under the guise of security work across the state.
“So that going forward, across the length and breadth of Oyo State, we know if anybody is wearing any uniform or carrying any form of weapon in defence of ourselves, the state knows about it.
“We do not want to open our flanks to others who may seize the moment to start committing crimes.”
He warned that failure to comply with the executive order would attract legal consequences.
“Failure to comply with this executive order is a violation of the law. It has implications in the law, and violators will be prosecuted accordingly,” the commissioner said.
He disclosed that the Office of the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, the Oyo State Police Command, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had been mandated to enforce compliance.
