Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde has signed into law an Executive Order 001 of 2026 on the Regulation of Associations, Groups and Organisations offering Security and Allied Services in the state.
He said the move was necessary to ensure that all groups and associations involved in security-related activities, such as vigilante and other community-based security groups, operate within a clear legal and operational framework that supports peace, order and rule of law in the state.
At the signing ceremony on Wednesday in Ibadan, the state capital, Makinde stressed that the executive order became necessary in view of the growing security challenges confronting communities and the increasing number of groups engaging in security-related activities without proper coordination.
While noting that security remains a collective responsibility of both the government and citizens, he explained that the order was designed to ensure that all organisations involved in security and allied services are properly registered, documented and monitored by the state government.
The governor also stressed that the people must avoid any action that could lead to ethnic tension, while cautioning socio-cultural groups to desist from narratives that could result in ethnic profiling, discrimination or confrontation as the state government would not tolerate any form of criminality under the guise of security operations.
Makinde also used the occasion to address the recent abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, assuring residents that the government, in collaboration with security agencies and relevant stakeholders, are working to ensure the safe return of the victims.
The governor urged citizens to report suspicious activities to security agencies rather than resorting to self-help or unlawful reprisals.
The governor’s move is coming on the heels of recent attacks on a number of school and communities within the state by suspected terrorists in which over 46 people were kidnapped.
