Abduction: Makinde Signs Executive Order To Regulate Local Security Groups

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 was 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 area.

The governor also warned against ethnic profiling and the targeting of innocent residents under the guise of fighting crime.

“Or 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.

Yes, we do not want criminals in Oyo State. If you see any criminal activity or anyone perpetrating it, please report it to us. We will act,” he said.

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 for setting up or engaging in security-related work, please don’t hesitate to 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.

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.