ABEOKUTA, NIGERIA — Yoruba nation activist Sunday Adeyemo, widely known as Sunday Igboho, has formally launched the Ogun State chapter of the Iru Ekun Security Network, drawing thousands of volunteers to the inauguration ceremony held on Wednesday .
Videos and photographs circulating online showed hundreds of attendees, many dressed in matching black attire and caps, gathered under tents and along streets in a busy urban area, with many recording the proceedings on their phones . The launch marks the expansion of the community-based security initiative, which translates to “leopard’s tail” in Yoruba, into another South-West state following earlier inaugurations in Oyo and Osun .
Addressing the gathering, Igboho outlined plans for the outfit’s structure, training and collaboration with government authorities, while placing heavy emphasis on discipline among recruits . He warned members against using their positions to engage in misconduct, stressing that discipline would be central to the group’s activities. “You must have discipline. Do not engage in reckless behaviour or ruin things just because they have trained you and you have an ID card,” Igboho told the volunteers .
According to the activist, the Federal Government would determine the agency responsible for training members, while the Ogun State Governor’s Office would decide where they would be deployed after completing their training . Successful trainees, he added, would receive identification cards issued through their local government areas .
Igboho also disclosed that the state government had given assurances of support for the initiative, including plans to fix a monthly allowance for members to help them care for their families while carrying out their duties . “The Governor has also given us assurance. They have given us support here, and they will decide what monthly allowance to provide to us, to support us, because we have wives, and we have children,” he said .
The activist framed the broader ambition of the initiative as securing official identification for members across the entire South-West, allowing them to operate within the law while contributing to community safety and supporting their households . He likened the project to the early days of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, recalling that the organisation evolved from a community-based structure before becoming a federally recognised agency .
“This organisation we established, if we execute it properly—just like Civil Defence. They started at the market. We used to call them ‘Little Defence,’ but they did good work with what they were doing. The federal government have now fully established it across all of Nigeria,” Igboho said .
The launch comes amid continuing concerns over insecurity in parts of the South-West and renewed calls for stronger community participation in combating criminal activities . The Iru Ekun Security Network, established by Igboho to support efforts against kidnapping, banditry and other criminal activities, has reportedly attracted over 80,000 volunteers across the region .
The Ogun inauguration follows earlier endorsements from traditional institutions, including the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, who donated N100 million and a Hilux vehicle to support the initiative . Traditional rulers across the South-West have also scheduled meetings with Igboho to discuss security synergy and regional stability .
