Osun Election: Police Ban Politicians, VIPs From Taking Armed Escorts to Polling Units

The Nigeria Police Force has barred politicians, political figures and other VIPs from taking armed escorts, security aides or other unauthorised persons to polling units and collation centres during Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.

The directive is part of security measures being implemented by the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, to ensure a peaceful, secure and credible election across the state. The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, adding that Deputy Inspector-General of Police, DIG Ishyaku Mohammed, had been deployed to Osun to coordinate the police component of the election security operations.

The police said the DIG would work with other security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, while Assistant Inspectors-General and Commissioners of Police would be deployed across the state’s three senatorial districts. The Force assured voters, INEC officials, observers, journalists and other stakeholders of adequate security before, during and after the August 15 election.

The IGP warned political actors, their supporters and other troublemakers against ballot snatching, voter intimidation, political thuggery and other electoral offences, stressing that offenders would be arrested and prosecuted.

The police also reiterated that state-established security outfits, quasi-security groups and private security organisations were barred from election security duties, while urging voters to exercise their franchise peacefully and assuring them of professionalism, neutrality and respect for human rights throughout the electoral process.