The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 10,210 personnel, including specialised tactical units, across Osun State ahead of the governorship election.
The deployment, ordered by the Commandant General of the Corps, Prof. Ahmed Audi, is part of measures to strengthen security and ensure the peaceful, free and credible conduct of the poll.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commandant of Corps Babawale Afolabi, 10,000 personnel were drawn from 10 neighbouring State Commands to reinforce the Osun Command.
The personnel, comprising uniformed and undercover operatives, are being deployed from Oyo, Ondo, Ekiti, Ogun, Lagos, Kwara, Edo, Kogi, Delta and the Federal Capital Territory Commands, with about 1,000 personnel from each command.
The Corps said the personnel would work alongside other security agencies under the established inter-agency security framework.
Audi also ordered the deployment of specialised formations, including the Commandant General’s Special Intelligence Squad, Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Unit, Specialised Female Squad, Mining Marshals, Special Strike Force, Crack Squad and K9 Unit.
The specialised units are expected to enhance intelligence gathering, crime prevention and detection, crowd control, protection of critical assets and other election-related security operations.
The NSCDC said its personnel would cover all 30 Local Government Areas of the state, with their primary responsibility being the protection of voters, electoral officials, election materials, observers, journalists and residents.
For effective coordination, the Deputy Commandant General in charge of Operations, DCG Ayuba Phillip, alongside designated Assistant Commandants General and other senior officers, will relocate to Osun State to oversee the Corps’ election security operations.
Audi assured residents that the NSCDC would remain professional, impartial and respectful of citizens’ rights throughout the electoral process.
He also directed personnel to work in synergy with other security agencies, stressing that the safety of voters, electoral officials and election materials remained central to the success of the election.
“Our personnel have been properly briefed on the need to be professional, neutral and respectful in the discharge of their duties,” Audi said.
The NSCDC boss warned political thugs and other criminal elements against any attempt to disrupt the election, saying security agencies would not tolerate actions capable of undermining the electoral process.
“In collaboration with other security agencies on election duty, [the NSCDC] will not tolerate any activity intended to jeopardise the election process; criminal-minded persons and political thugs willing to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the election would face the wrath of the law as prescribed in the Electoral Act,” he warned.
The Corps appealed to political parties, candidates and their supporters to maintain peace and allow the democratic process to take its course.
It also urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities or security concerns to the appropriate authorities.
The deployment comes as security preparations intensify ahead of the Osun governorship election, with security agencies stepping up measures to prevent violence, intimidation and other disruptions that could undermine the credibility of the poll.