By Our Correspondent
National News – Governor Seyi Makinde has signed Executive Order 001 of 2026 to regulate vigilante groups and organisations offering security and allied services across Oyo State.
The order, signed in Ibadan on Wednesday, aims to strengthen security coordination, improve monitoring of community-based security outfits and prevent unlawful activities linked to unregistered groups.
The governor said the action became necessary due to rising security challenges and the increasing number of groups operating without proper government supervision.
Makinde explained that the new directive would ensure that all associations involved in security services are properly registered, documented and monitored by the state government.
According to him, security remains a shared responsibility between citizens and government, but all operations must follow legal procedures that promote peace, order and the rule of law.
He also warned against ethnic profiling and inflammatory narratives capable of causing tension or conflict within communities.
The governor further addressed the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, assuring residents that the government and security agencies were intensifying efforts to rescue the victims safely.
He praised security personnel and residents for remaining calm during the crisis while reaffirming his administration’s commitment to improving security across the state.
Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo, stated that all security-related groups with more than five members must register with the Office of the Special Adviser on Security within 72 hours.
He said the regulation would help authorities identify individuals carrying weapons or operating in security uniforms across the state.
Aikomo warned that failure to comply with the executive order would attract legal penalties.
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 statewide.
