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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that 1,906,390 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected ahead of Saturday’s governorship election in Osun State.

The figure represents 81.50 per cent of the 2,339,233 registered voters in the state, according to a statement issued on Thursday by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.

Haruna said the remaining 426,842 PVCs, representing 18.50 per cent of the registered voter population, had been securely deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), in line with the Commission’s established procedure.

INEC also disclosed that 6,101 voters whose PVCs were damaged, defaced or lost applied for replacement and subsequently printed downloadable copies of their voter cards.
The Commission said it had published a polling-unit-by-polling-unit breakdown of the collected PVCs on its official website.

INEC further assured political parties, civil society organisations, the media and residents of Osun State of its preparedness to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive election on Saturday, August 15, 2026.
Police deploy thousands for election security
Meanwhile, security agencies have intensified preparations for the governorship election, with the Nigeria Police Force deploying thousands of personnel across the state’s 30 local government areas.
Police sources and official statements indicate that at least four police officers will be deployed to each of the 3,673 polling units across the state.
The deployment, however, excludes personnel from other sister security agencies expected to participate in the election security operation.
With the election just hours away, political parties and candidates are making final preparations while voters await the outcome of what is expected to be a closely watched governorship contest.

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Two years after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) uncovered and seized N24 billion allegedly meant for the payment of ghost workers’ pensions, no individual or organisation has come forward to claim ownership of the funds or challenge the seizure in court.

ICPC Chairman, Dr Musa Aliyu, disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja while delivering a lecture titled, “Anti-Corruption Reforms, Economic Stability and Effective Communication,” organised by Economic Confidenti.

Aliyu said investigations by the commission had uncovered cases in which unpatriotic civil servants allegedly enrolled their children and other family members as ghost workers on government payrolls.

According to him, one individual was found to have enrolled 14 members of his family on the payroll and was allegedly collecting 13 salaries.

“Up till now, no single person has come out to claim the N24 billion or gone to court to claim ownership of the money,” Aliyu said.

He said the commission would continue to investigate payroll fraud and other financial irregularities in government institutions to protect public funds.
The ICPC chairman described corruption as one of the greatest challenges confronting Nigeria, stressing that the menace must be tackled with seriousness if the country is to achieve sustainable economic progress.

He called for stronger enforcement of anti-corruption laws, noting that the country continues to lose significant amounts of money through bribery and other corrupt practices.

Aliyu also expressed concern over the involvement of some public officials in economic crimes, despite their responsibility to serve as role models for younger Nigerians.
He said some officials allegedly use consultants as intermediaries to facilitate corrupt activities and conceal the movement of illicit funds.
Recalling a major case uncovered by the ICPC in 2012, Aliyu cited an alleged diversion of $65 million released for the construction of houses for public officers to address accommodation challenges.

He said instead of using the funds for the intended purpose, those involved allegedly diverted the money and abandoned the housing project.
The ICPC chairman warned that pervasive corruption could discourage both local and foreign investment, stressing that investors would be reluctant to commit their resources to an environment where corruption thrives.
He said the commission would henceforth place greater emphasis on strengthening weak government systems that create opportunities for fraud and undermine economic growth.
Aliyu also referred to the recent discovery of a fake government agency, saying such an organisation should have been detected earlier if the country’s institutional systems were sufficiently robust.

He further identified the insertion of unexecuted projects into government programmes as another consequence of weak systems, saying the practice deprives Nigerians of value for money.

According to him, contractors found to have been awarded such projects would be compelled to execute them once identified.
To build a stronger culture of integrity, Aliyu urged Nigerians to begin anti-corruption campaigns from the primary school level, saying children should be taught early about the dangers and consequences of corruption.
He said such efforts would help raise a generation that would reject corrupt practices and demand accountability from public officials.
“Nigeria can capture corruption and a solid foundation will come up for the country on integrity. The damaging effect of corruption is too much and must not be allowed to thrive,” he said.
Aliyu added that the ICPC would focus on addressing systemic weaknesses that facilitate corruption in areas including constituency projects and payroll management, while working to sanitise the public sector.

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Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to making education the cornerstone of sustainable development, declaring that government will continue to invest in measures that guarantee a safe, secure and conducive learning environment capable of restoring the state’s reputation as a centre of academic excellence.

Governor Mutfwang made the declaration through the Commissioner for Education, Dr. Mrs. Kachollom Pyam Gang, while declaring open the 4th Man O’ War Nigeria National Camping Exercise in Jos.

The week-long programme, holding from August 9 to 15, 2026, at the Citizenship and Leadership Training Centre, Shere Hills, is themed “Strengthening Community-Based Safe School Framework for a Secure and Resilient Nigeria,” with the sub-theme “Building Safer Schools Through Partnership, Preparedness and Collective Responsibilities.”

Describing the initiative as timely and strategic, the governor disclosed that the Plateau State Government is set to train one thousand security personnel who will be deployed to school communities across the state to strengthen safety and enhance the protection of students, teachers and educational facilities.

He noted that the initiative forms part of the administration’s broader efforts to rebuild confidence in the education sector and create an atmosphere where learning can thrive without fear.

Governor Mutfwang stressed that quality education cannot flourish in an atmosphere of insecurity, adding that his administration remains determined to work with relevant stakeholders to ensure that every child in Plateau State has access to safe and inclusive learning spaces.

He commended Man O’ War Nigeria and the Safe School Initiative for championing practical solutions aimed at addressing security challenges confronting schools across the country.

Speaking at the event, the National Coordinator of the Safe School Initiative Nigeria, Hajia Halima Ibrahim, said the camping exercise was designed to strengthen the resilience of host communities in protecting schools from security threats.

She described Man O’ War Nigeria as a critical implementation partner whose nationwide presence and grassroots structure have positioned it to drive the objectives of the Safe School Initiative across the federation.

In his remarks, the National Commander of Man O’ War Nigeria, Adedamola Gbenga, explained that the exercise is a national capacity-building programme intended to equip coordinators from all the 774 Local Government Areas of the country with the knowledge, skills and practical strategies required to support the implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative.

He expressed optimism that participants would return to their various communities better prepared to promote school safety, assuring parents and the public that the training would contribute significantly to creating more secure learning environments ahead of the new academic session.

Also speaking, the Plateau State Safe School Coordinator, Brigadier General G. Shipi (Rtd.), described the collaboration between government agencies and Man O’ War Nigeria as both timely and strategic.

He urged participants to effectively utilise the knowledge acquired during the training to strengthen community-based security structures and foster safer school environments across Nigeria.

The opening ceremony attracted a broad spectrum of stakeholders, including representatives of the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Department of State Services, the Chairman of Jos North Local Government Council, academics, traditional rulers and other partners committed to advancing school safety and improving educational security nationwide.