IBADAN — Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has officially signed Executive Order No. 001 of 2026, introducing strict guidelines for the regulation, registration, and operational coordination of all informal security outfits, vigilante groups, and community-based organizations within the state.
The governor signed the document at his private residence in the Kolapo Ishola Estate, Ibadan. He noted that the administrative intervention became necessary due to the rising sophistication of local security challenges and the rapid proliferation of independent, uncoordinated groups performing security duties without formal state oversight.
"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. "However, at a time when insecurity has become more sophisticated, coordination, accountability, and proper regulation have become necessary. This executive order is therefore designed to ensure that all groups operate within a clear legal and operational framework."
Addressing the Oriire School Abductions
The regulatory crackdown follows a highly distressing security breach in the state—the recent coordinated raids and abductions of students, pupils, and teachers within the Oriire Local Government Area.
Governor Makinde used the signing ceremony to directly address the ongoing crisis, acknowledging the deep emotional toll it has placed on the victims' families. He reassured the public that state authorities are working continuously with joint security forces, including the Western Nigeria Security Network (Amotekun) and the Nigeria Police Force, to secure the safe return of all captives.
Crucially, Makinde issued a stern warning against using recent security vulnerabilities as an excuse to incite communal conflict or engage in arbitrary reprisals.
"We do not want criminals in our state. So if you see any criminal activities, please report to us and we will act," the governor warned. "But we do not want people forming groups and associations in the name of security and then, on that basis, starting ethnic profiling and ethnic confrontation. 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."
Mandatory 72-Hour Compliance Window
Providing details on the legal enforcement of the order, the Oyo State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Abiodun Aikomo, clarified that the directive applies to any independent security entity with a manpower strength exceeding five persons.
Under the new legal framework, all qualifying associations must formally notify and register their personnel rosters with the state government through the Office of the Special Adviser on Security.
The state ministry has placed a strict compliance window on existing groups:
• Regulatory Scope: Applies to all community-based security associations with more than five members.
• Compliance Deadline: Existing outfits have been granted exactly 72 hours from the signing of the order to notify the government and undergo documentation.
• Certification Requirement: Documented groups will be issued official state certification to ensure that any individual wearing a uniform or carrying defensive weapons under the guise of local security is fully identifiable by state databases.
Aikomo emphasized that non-compliance with the 72-hour registration directive will be treated as an explicit violation of Oyo State law, rendering operators liable to criminal prosecution. The state government has directed the Oyo State Police Command, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Special Adviser on Security to initiate immediate enforcement and monitoring across all local government areas.
The directive establishes mandatory government registration for local vigilante groups while explicitly warning against unlawful vigilantism and ethnic profiling.
