Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has signed an Executive Order regulating the registration, coordination and operations of vigilante groups and other community-based security organisations in the state, warning against ethnic profiling and activities capable of heightening tension.

The order, titled Executive Order No. 001 of 2026, was signed during a briefing held at the governor’s Kolapo Ishola private residence in Ibadan, on Wednesday with top security officials and government functionaries in attendance.

Present at the signing were the Deputy Governor, Barrister Adebayo Lawal; Special Adviser on Security, Mr Abayomi Fagbenro; Executive Assistant on Security, Compol Sunday Odukoya; the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga; NSCDC Commandant in Oyo State, and other senior government officials.

Makinde said the decision became necessary in view of emerging security challenges across parts of the country and the need to prevent abuse by unregulated local security outfits.

He stressed that while community participation in security is encouraged, such efforts must operate within a clear legal framework to avoid escalation of ethnic or communal conflicts.

“For emphasis, we must avoid at all costs anything that can lead to ethnic tension where people that do not know how issues come about, or because they are from a certain ethnic group, become a target,” the governor said.

He warned that the state would not tolerate any group forming under the guise of security operations only to engage in ethnic profiling or confrontation.

“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,” Makinde added.

The governor noted that the regulation was part of broader efforts to strengthen the state’s security architecture and ensure peace across all communities.

He also assured residents that government was intensifying efforts, in collaboration with security agencies, to rescue abducted teachers and students in Oriire Local Government Area of the state.

Makinde said the administration understood the anxiety caused by recent security incidents and was working round the clock to ensure the safe return of victims.

Earlier, the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Abiodun Aikomo, said the executive order was designed to ensure accountability and proper monitoring of all groups engaged in security-related activities.

Aikomo said the increasing number of informal security groups necessitated regulation to prevent abuse and unintended security consequences.

He disclosed that any group involved in security operations with more than five members must formally notify the Office of the Governor through the Special Adviser on Security.

According to him, existing groups have 72 hours to comply with the directive, after which they would be documented and issued certificates for recognition.

He warned that failure to comply with the order would attract legal consequences, including prosecution.

The Attorney-General added that the Office of the Special Adviser on Security, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and the Oyo State Police Command had been mandated to enforce compliance.

Aikomo further cautioned against unregulated security operations, noting that such actions could worsen insecurity rather than resolve it.

He reaffirmed that the government remained committed to protecting lives and property while ensuring that security efforts are coordinated, lawful and effective.