Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho), on Wednesday formally launched the Ogun State chapter of the Iru Ekun Security Network.

The launch attracted a large gathering of supporters and volunteers, with videos and photographs from the event showing hundreds of participants assembled at the venue.

Speaking at the event, Igboho outlined plans for the structure, training and deployment of members of the security network, while emphasising the need for discipline and responsible conduct.

“You must have discipline. Do not engage in reckless behaviour or ruin things just because they have trained you and you have ID card,” he told the gathering.

According to him, the Federal Government would determine the agency or personnel responsible for training members, while the Ogun State Governor’s Office would determine their areas of deployment.

“Federal Government will decide who will come and train us. The Governor’s Office tell us where they will place us.

“As they wrap up that training, every person will be issued an ID card at the local government level,” he said.

Igboho also disclosed that the state government had assured the group of its support, adding that authorities would determine a monthly allowance for members to assist them in catering for their families.

“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.

He explained that the broader objective was to secure official identification for members across the South-West, enabling them to operate within a recognised framework while contributing to community safety.

Drawing a comparison with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Igboho said the initiative could evolve into a properly structured security organisation if adequately managed.

“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,” he said.

Video footage from the launch showed many participants dressed in matching black outfits and caps, gathered under canopies and along adjoining streets, with several recording the proceedings on their mobile phones.

Iru Ekun, which translates to “leopard’s tail” in Yoruba, is a community-based security initiative founded by Igboho to support efforts to tackle kidnapping, banditry and other security challenges across the South-West.

The Ogun State launch is the latest in a series of inaugurations of the initiative in parts of the region.