Ibadan, Nigeria — September 16, 2026
A human rights organization in Oyo State has cautioned federal authorities against allowing private security outfits to operate alongside official law enforcement, following a confrontation in Ibadan between police officers and members of a vigilante network associated with activist Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.
The Vocalpoint Human Rights Initiative (VOHRI) raised the alarm during a press briefing in Ibadan on Wednesday, arguing that tolerating parallel policing structures could deepen the country’s security challenges rather than solve them.
The group’s intervention comes after reports that Igboho’s Iru-Ẹkun Security Network obstructed police officers attempting to arrest a suspect identified as Taa’ni Ọlọhun in the state.
Speaking on behalf of VOHRI, spokesperson Oladimeji Adelakin stressed that no private citizen, vigilante group, or community militia has the authority to act as a substitute for the Nigeria Police Force or to decide matters of life and death outside the judicial process. He urged residents with knowledge of criminal activity to report it through proper security channels instead of resorting to self-help enforcement.
While acknowledging that citizens have every right to voice concerns about insecurity and demand better protection, Adelakin maintained that investigation, arrest, and prosecution remain the exclusive responsibility of constitutionally recognized bodies such as the police and the Department of State Services (DSS).
He described the alleged obstruction of officers by individuals linked to the security network as a development that, if confirmed, would undermine the authority of law-enforcement agencies and the rule of law.
VOHRI called on security agencies to conduct an impartial investigation into the incident and to pursue appropriate legal action if wrongdoing is established. The organization further appealed for an end to unauthorized parallel enforcement activities, emphasizing the need to uphold Nigeria’s constitutional order and preserve national unity.
The Nigeria Police Force and the DSS have not yet issued public statements on the matter.
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