The Nigeria Police Force announced on Thursday that up to 30 commissioners of police will be on duty for the Osun State governorship election, which takes place across the state on Saturday.
This was revealed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, while speaking to journalists in Osogbo, Osun State, on Friday about the police preparations for the governorship election.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Alliance, and African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam are leading the battle for the state’s top post.
According to Iniedu, the police began deploying people three weeks before the election, and a deputy inspector general of police will manage security activities during the election.
According to him, approximately 15,000 officers will be on duty during the election, and a police aircraft and drone unit have arrived in the state to undertake area surveillance.
He added that two units of the Mobile Police Force, each with over 60 personnel, had been sent to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s state headquarters in Osogbo, the state capital.
Similarly, he stated that every local government area in the state would have a unit of the mobile force.
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“We have deployed armed mobile policemen to every local government area in the state. So, we have 30 units across 30 local government areas. A unit is about 60 policemen.
“We also have two units of armed mobile policemen attached to the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Osogbo here. The men who stay in the local government areas are being coordinated by a commissioner of police. There is a commissioner of police in each local government area.
“We also have a deputy commissioner of police in each local government area, as well as a mobile police commander and a PMF commander with the rank of assistant commissioner of police in each local government area.
“As of today (Thursday), our helicopters and drone units have arrived in Osogbo, and they will be conducting area surveillance from now, during, and immediately after the elections.
“We have deployed armed mobile policemen to every local government area in the state. So, we have 30 units across 30 local government areas. A unit is about 60 policemen.
“We also have two units of armed mobile policemen attached to the Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Osogbo here. The men who stay in the local government areas are being coordinated by a commissioner of police. There is a commissioner of police in each local government area.
“We also have a deputy commissioner of police in each local government area, as well as a mobile police commander and a PMF commander with the rank of assistant commissioner of police in each local government area.
“As of today (Thursday), our helicopters and drone units have arrived in Osogbo, and they will be conducting area surveillance from now, during, and immediately after the elections.”
The PPRO also said the army would cordon off all the border roads leading into Osun State from 12am on Saturday.
“We will be locking down the state. We will not be allowing any vehicular movement apart from those on essential duty, security duties, and those going to cast their franchise,” he said.
He recommended parents caution their children against election offenses like intimidation, stalking, vote buying, and ballot box grabbing.
He claimed a mobile court would be set up to try anyone caught for involvement in election offenses.
Speaking on the details of the weapons the police had recovered from hoodlums in the state, Iniedu said, “We don’t have specific details about the guns we have mopped up, but I know that in Osun State, so far, we have mopped up about 34 illegal firearms, and investigations are ongoing.”
