The Nigeria Police Force has deployed no fewer than 30 Commissioners of Police and more than 15,000 personnel to provide security for Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.
The Force also disclosed that a Deputy Inspector-General of Police (DIG) would coordinate the overall security operations for the election, while helicopters and drones would be deployed for aerial and area surveillance before, during and immediately after the poll. 
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, disclosed this while briefing journalists on Friday in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, on the police preparations for the election.
Iniedu said the police commenced the deployment of personnel and other security resources three weeks before the election, adding that the measures were designed to ensure adequate security across the state’s 30 local government areas.
According to him, more than 15,000 police operatives would be deployed for election duties, while a police helicopter and drone unit had already arrived in Osogbo to support surveillance operations.
He further disclosed that two units of the Police Mobile Force (PMF), each comprising more than 60 personnel, had been deployed to the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osogbo.
Similarly, he said each of the 30 local government areas would have a PMF unit to reinforce security during the election.
“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 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 disclosed that the Army would cordon off border routes leading into Osun State from midnight on Saturday as part of measures to restrict movement during the election.
“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.
Iniedu urged parents to caution their children and wards against engaging in electoral offences, warning that security agencies would deal with anyone found violating the law.
He specifically identified intimidation, stalking, vote-buying and ballot-box snatching as offences that would attract legal consequences.
He also disclosed that a mobile court would be available to handle cases involving persons arrested for alleged electoral offences.
On firearms recovered from suspected hoodlums in the state, Iniedu said the police were yet to collate the specific details of the weapons but disclosed that about 34 illegal firearms had so far been recovered.
“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,” he said.
