The Nigeria Police Force on Thursday said as many as 30 Commissioners of Police would be on duty during the Osun State governorship election, which holds across the state on Saturday.
This was disclosed by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, while addressing journalists in Osogbo, Osun State, on Friday on the police preparations for the governorship poll.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Alliance and the African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam lead the race for the state’s top job.
Iniedu, who said the police commenced the deployment of its personnel three weeks before the poll, said a Deputy Inspector-General of Police would coordinate security activities during the poll.
According to him, over 15,000 police operatives would be on duty during the poll, noting that a police helicopter and drone unit had arrived in the state to conduct area surveillance.
He further said two units of the Mobile Police Force, each comprising over 60 personnel, had been deployed to the state headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission in Osogbo, the state capital.
Similarly, he said each Local Government Area in the state would have a unit of the Police Mobile Force.
“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 at 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 Force PRO 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 advised parents to warn their children against electoral offences, including intimidation, stalking, vote-buying and ballot-box snatching.
He said a mobile court would be in place to try anyone arrested for involvement in electoral offences.
Asked about 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.”
Several police operatives deployed for Saturday’s governorship poll were observed at the State Police Headquarters, moving to their various areas of operation.
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