The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has deployed 10,200 operatives across the 30 local government areas of Osun State to ensure the peaceful conduct of the election.
The Assistant Commander of Corps and National Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC, Babawale Afolabi, disclosed this while addressing journalists on Saturday morning at the NSCDC headquarters in Osogbo.
Babawale said the deployment was ordered by the Commandant-General of the NSCDC, Professor Ahmed Abubakar Audi, mni, OFR, as part of measures to provide adequate security and ensure a peaceful electoral process.
According to him, three NSCDC personnel have been deployed to each polling unit, while two armed personnel will be positioned about 500 metres away from polling units. He added that fully loaded armed personnel in a Hilux vehicle have also been deployed to each local government area to collaborate with other sister security agencies.
“Talking of these officers and men of the Corps, we have a tactical team, we have a special squad, we have K9, and we have the female strike force. So, we are prepared and battle-ready for the exercise,” Babawale said.
He explained that NSCDC personnel had undergone extensive training ahead of the election to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills required for effective electoral security operations.
“Before now, officers and men of the corps have gone through numerous trainings to better know the rudiments of election engagement and to do it right, as we always do during elections like this,” he said.
The NSCDC spokesman stressed that the Corps would maintain a zero-tolerance approach towards electoral offences, particularly vote buying and violence.
“We have zero tolerance for election malpractices and zero tolerance for vote buying and violence,” Babawale declared.
He said there had been no major security challenges so far, noting that all NSCDC personnel had been deployed across the 30 local government areas of the state.
Afolabi also recalled that security agencies conducted a show of force three days ago as part of efforts to reassure residents of the state of the readiness of security personnel.
“About three days ago, we had the show of force with other security agencies to assure the people of Osun State that we are on the ground to give them cover,” he said.
He therefore appealed to eligible voters across the state to come out en masse and exercise their constitutional right to vote, assuring them that security agencies were on the ground to provide adequate protection throughout the electoral process.
He urged residents to remain peaceful and law-abiding and cooperate with security personnel to ensure a credible, peaceful, and successful election in Osun State.
Packaged by Olanrewaju Agiri
