Seyi Makinde has signed Executive Order 001 of 2026 regulating vigilante groups, community security outfits and other associations offering security-related services across Oyo State, in what the government described as a major step toward tightening coordination and oversight of non-state security operations.
The executive order, signed on Wednesday in Ibadan, comes amid growing security concerns in several communities and heightened public anxiety following the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area.
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Speaking during the signing ceremony, Makinde said the increasing activities of informal security groups across the state made it necessary for the government to establish a legal and operational framework to guide their activities.
According to the governor, all associations and organisations involved in security and allied services must now operate within clearly defined regulations aimed at preserving public order, accountability and lawful conduct.
“The executive order that I just signed is another step in our commitment to the protection of lives and properties across our state,” Makinde said.
He stressed that while citizens and community associations have continued to support security efforts, unregulated activities by some groups could worsen tensions and undermine peace if left unchecked.
The governor warned against the emergence of ethnic-based vigilante operations, cautioning residents and socio-cultural organisations against profiling individuals based on ethnicity under the guise of protecting communities.
“For emphasis, we must avoid at all costs anything that can lead to ethnic tension where people become targets simply because they are from a certain ethnic group,” he said.
Makinde added that criminal activities should be reported directly to recognised security agencies instead of encouraging self-help or retaliatory actions by informal groups.
The order also came against the backdrop of increasing security concerns in parts of the South-West, where local vigilante groups have become more visible in response to kidnappings, armed attacks and rural insecurity.
Addressing the recent Oriire abduction, the governor assured residents that the state government was working with security agencies and relevant stakeholders to secure the release of the victims.
“We are working around the clock with security agencies and all relevant stakeholders to do everything possible to ensure that the victims are brought home safely and alive,” Makinde said.
Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo, said the executive order mandates every association or organisation providing security services with more than five members to register through the Office of the Special Adviser on Security.
Aikomo disclosed that all existing groups have been given 72 hours to comply with the directive for documentation and certification.
According to him, the registration process would enable the state government to properly identify and monitor individuals carrying weapons or operating in security uniforms across Oyo State.
“Going forward, across the length and breadth of Oyo State, if anybody is wearing any uniform or carrying any form of weapon in the name of defending the people, the state knows about it,” he said.
The attorney-general warned that failure to comply with the order would amount to a violation of the law and could lead to prosecution.
He added that the Office of the Special Adviser on Security, the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps had been directed to enforce immediate compliance.
Security analysts say the move reflects growing concerns among state governments over the increasing proliferation of loosely coordinated security groups, especially in rural communities facing threats from kidnappers and armed gangs.
The development also highlights ongoing debates around community policing, local intelligence gathering and the role of vigilante groups in Nigeria’s fragile security architecture.
