The Ogun State police command has deployed more than 2,500 personnel from various tactical units to provide security during the 2026 Ojude Oba Festival scheduled for today in Ijebu Ode.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
The police spokesman said the deployment includes personnel from the Police Mobile Force, Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Violent Crime Response Unit, Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Monitoring Unit, Force Intelligence Department and other specialised operational units.
‘In line with this proactive operational strategy, the command has deployed over 2,500 police personnel, including conventional officers and tactical teams drawn from the Police Mobile Force (PMF), SWAT, Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Monitoring Unit, Force Intelligence Department, and other specialised operational units across Ijebu Ode and adjoining communities where the festival will be celebrated within Ogun State’, he stated.
The command added that the deployment also features Armoured Personnel Carriers, patrol vehicles, police motorcycles, surveillance teams, undercover operatives and rapid response squads strategically positioned at the Ojude Oba Pavilion, major highways, entry and exit points, hotels, worship centres, recreational facilities, motor parks, markets and residential areas expected to witness heavy vehicular and human traffic during the festival.
According to the statement, the operation was aimed at ensuring effective crowd control, intelligence-led policing, traffic management, anti-crime patrols, visibility policing, early threat detection and rapid response to security concerns before, during and after the celebration.
Babaseyi said the Commissioner of Police (CP), Bode Ojajuni, had directed all area commanders, divisional police officers (DPOs) and tactical commanders to remain on maximum alert and sustain aggressive patrols and strategic stop-and-search operations across their jurisdictions.
‘The Commissioner of Police has directed all area commanders, divisional police officers, and tactical commanders to remain on maximum alert and sustain aggressive patrols, strategic stop-and-search operations, and round-the-clock supervision of personnel within their areas of responsibility.
‘Special operational attention has also been focused on strategic routes, including the Sagamu Interchange, Ijebu Ode–Benin Expressway, Molipa axis, and adjoining communities, to prevent criminal activities, traffic obstruction, and any act capable of disrupting public peace’, he added.
The police spokesperson noted that officers deployed for the operation had been instructed to maintain professionalism, civility and respect for the rights of law-abiding residents while carrying out their duties.
He added that ACs and DPOs had also been directed to strengthen collaboration with traditional rulers, community leaders, transport unions, event organisers and other stakeholders to enhance intelligence gathering and ensure effective security coordination throughout the festival.
The command warned criminal elements to stay away from the state, stressing that it was fully prepared to deal decisively with anyone attempting to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the celebration.
It also urged residents, visitors and festival participants to remain law-abiding, vigilant and security conscious throughout the period.
Parents and guardians were advised to monitor the activities and movements of their children and wards, while members of the public were encouraged to promptly report suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police formation or through the command’s emergency lines.
Ojajuni reaffirmed the command’s commitment to proactive policing, public safety and the protection of lives and property before, during and after the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.
The 2026 Ojude Oba is the first to be held after the passage of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, on 13 July 2025.
Ijebu Ode has been without a traditional ruler as recent efforts to finalise the process for the emergence of a new monarch have been stalled.
