Trending 
The Ogun State Police Command has deployed more than 2,500 personnel for the annual Ojude Oba festival.
The deployment includes personnel 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. police spokesman DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi said in a statement on Thursday.
“In line with this proactive operational strategy, the command has deployed over 2,500 police personnel, including conventional officers and tactical teams,” Babaseyi said.
Armoured personnel carriers, patrol vehicles, police motorcycles, surveillance teams and rapid response squads have been positioned at the Ojude Oba Pavilion; major highways; entry and exit points; hotels; markets; and residential areas, the police said.
The Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, has directed all area commanders and tactical commanders “to remain on maximum alert and sustain aggressive patrols, strategic stop-and-search operations, and round-the-clock supervision.”
Special attention has been paid to the Sagamu Interchange, the Ijebu Ode–Benin Expressway, and the Molipa axis.
The police warned criminal elements to stay away from the state, saying they were fully prepared to deal decisively with anyone attempting to disrupt the celebration’s peaceful conduct.
The 2026 Ojude Oba is the first to be held since the passage of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, on July 13, 2025. Ijebu Ode has been without a traditional ruler as efforts to finalise the emergence of a new monarch have stalled.
The festival, one of the biggest cultural events in southwestern Nigeria, draws thousands of visitors annually. Police have urged residents and visitors to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.
