The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has deployed additional personnel and specialised units to Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election, as security agencies intensify preparations to ensure a peaceful and credible poll.
The NSCDC said the deployment would complement its existing personnel in the state and provide security for voters, electoral officials, observers, journalists and other residents across the 30 local government areas of Osun State.
The Commandant-General of the corps, Ahmed Audi, also ordered the deployment of specialised units, including the Commandant-General’s Special Intelligence Squad, Special Weapons and Tactics Unit, Specialised Female Squad, Mining Marshals, Special Strike Force, Crack Squad and K9 Unit.
According to a statement issued by the NSCDC National Public Relations Officer, Babawale Afolabi, the specialised teams would be deployed to strengthen intelligence gathering, crime prevention, protection of critical national assets, crowd control and other election-related security operations.
The corps said the deployment was part of measures to strengthen its operational capacity and ensure that security personnel were adequately positioned to respond to emerging threats before, during and after the election.
To ensure effective coordination of the security operations, the Deputy Commandant-General in charge of Operations, Ayuba Phillip, alongside designated Assistant Commandant-Generals and other senior officers, will relocate to Osun State to supervise the corps’ election security operations.
Audi said NSCDC personnel had been adequately briefed on the need to maintain professionalism, neutrality and respect for citizens’ rights throughout the electoral process.
He stressed that the protection of electoral officials and materials remained a critical responsibility of the corps, particularly given its mandate to protect critical infrastructure and national assets.
“As an agency saddled with the responsibility of protecting critical infrastructure and national assets, the safety and security of election materials and electoral officials are very critical alongside the electorates,” Audi said.
He urged NSCDC personnel deployed for the election to work closely with other security agencies and ensure that their conduct did not undermine the credibility of the poll.
“You have the responsibility of ensuring unbiased synergy with other security agencies on election duty to actualise a free, fair and credible election,” the NSCDC boss said.
Audi further reminded the personnel that their duties must be carried out without political bias, urging them to respect the rights of citizens while maintaining law and order.
“Our personnel have been properly briefed on the need to be professional, neutral and respectful in the discharge of their duties,” he said.
The NSCDC commandant-general also issued a strong warning to political thugs, criminal elements and other individuals who might attempt to disrupt the election, stressing that security agencies would not allow activities capable of compromising the electoral process.
He said, “The NSCDC in collaboration with other security agencies on election duty 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.”
The corps consequently appealed to political parties, candidates, their supporters and residents of Osun State to conduct themselves peacefully and allow the democratic process to take its course.
It assured residents that its personnel would operate within the established inter-agency security framework and collaborate with the Nigeria Police Force, the military and other security agencies to ensure adequate coordination of election security operations.
The deployment comes amid heightened security preparations ahead of the August 15 governorship election, with various security agencies stepping up measures to prevent violence, voter intimidation, disruption of polling and other electoral offences.
The Nigeria Police Force had earlier announced the deployment of 15,000 personnel to Osun State for the election as part of efforts to secure polling units, electoral officials, voters and other stakeholders participating in the exercise.
The NSCDC deployment is expected to complement the wider security arrangement for the election and strengthen the capacity of security agencies to respond to threats across the state’s 30 local government areas.
