Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has announced the deployment of at least four police officers to each of the 3,673 polling units across Osun State ahead of the governorship election.
Gatekeepers News reports that Disu disclosed this on Friday during a meeting with civil society organisations at the Force Headquarters in Abuja, where he assured voters, electoral officials and other stakeholders of adequate security before, during and after the August 15 election.
The police chief said the force had begun early deployment of personnel to the state and would work with other security agencies to ensure a peaceful and credible poll.
He also said Samuel Erale Etaifo, a Commissioner of Police, had been deployed to oversee election security operations in Osun, while an Assistant Inspector-General of Police would provide senior operational supervision. Abayomi Shogunle, also a Commissioner of Police, is expected to coordinate operations from the central monitoring centre in Abuja.
Disu said the police would mount a visible deterrence operation, including a show of force, while roadblocks and other movement-control measures would be introduced to prevent unauthorised movement on election day.
He warned that political actors would not be allowed to move around with security aides or armed escorts during the election, adding that the police would deal firmly and impartially with electoral offences, including vote buying, voter intimidation, ballot-box snatching and thuggery, regardless of political affiliation.
The IGP also raised concerns about the involvement of cult groups in political violence in the state. He said investigations indicated that some of the groups had been recruited by political actors and that arrests had already been made.
The announcement comes amid concerns over the security situation in Osun. A coalition of civil society organisations, including Yiaga Africa, CLEEN Foundation, CISLAC, CJID and the Kukah Centre, identified 13 of the state’s 30 local government areas as high-risk areas ahead of the election.
The groups said their assessment recorded 44 incidents of violence and 34 deaths between June 2025 and June 2026, with concerns including killings, shootings, political abductions and attacks around local government secretariats.
Yiaga Africa Executive Director, Samson Itodo, described the election as a major test for Nigeria’s electoral and security institutions, particularly because it will be the final major off-cycle governorship election before the 2027 general elections. He urged security agencies to remain neutral and professional throughout the exercise.
Among the areas identified as requiring heightened security are Osogbo, Irewole, Ifedayo, Ife North, Boripe, Ife Central and Ife East. Yiaga said recurring violence and political tension in some of these areas could undermine voters’ confidence if not properly addressed.
The Osun governorship election is scheduled for Saturday, August 15, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party seeking another term. His major challengers include All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji and African Democratic Congress candidate Najeem Salaam.
Disu urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to shun violence and allow voters to exercise their franchise peacefully, stressing that no political contest was worth the loss of lives.
