The Nigeria Police Force has stopped the Western Nigeria Security Network, popularly known as Amotekun, vigilante groups and other non-state security outfits from participating in security operations for Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
The Force warned political parties, candidates and their supporters against engaging, arming or deploying such groups for election-related activities. 
The directive was communicated through a statement from the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, speaking on behalf of the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Rilwan Disu.
According to the police, these community and quasi-security formations will have no involvement whatsoever in election-related security functions. This includes activities such as escorting electoral materials to polling locations, providing security at polling units, setting up checkpoints, or carrying weapons in connection with the election.
The police also issued a broader warning to political parties, their candidates, supporters and the general public, cautioning against violence, intimidation tactics and thuggery in the lead-up to and during voting. The Force stated plainly that persistent election-related crimes, among them snatching ballot boxes, intimidating voters, buying votes and confrontations between opposing camps of supporters would not be permitted to occur unchecked, as individuals implicated in these offences, whether as the ones physically committing the acts or as those funding and organising them, will face arrest and prosecution regardless of their political connections or standing in society.
The Force named the agencies authorised to handle election security: the police itself, the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the Nigeria Immigration Service, the Nigeria Correctional Service, and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC). They are expected to cover all polling units, collation centres, election materials, officials, observers, journalists and voters alike in the 30 Local Government Areas in Osun State.
