Hundreds of police officers deployed to Osun State for the August 15 governorship election have reportedly remained in the state weeks after the election, with some of them complaining about poor welfare and harsh living conditions.
Sources within the Nigeria Police Force told SaharaReporters that personnel drawn from as many as 50 Police Mobile Force (MOPOL) squadrons and deployed to different parts of Osun for the election had yet to return to their regular formations.
According to the sources, some of the officers are being kept in camps under difficult conditions, with inadequate food and other basic welfare provisions.
The sources described the situation as “disturbing”, saying some of the officers had been left sitting around with little or nothing to do since their election duties ended.
“There are disturbing developments that officers of the Nigeria Police Force drawn from as many as 50 Mobile Police squadrons and deployed to Osun State are still being kept there weeks after the governorship election,” one of the sources said.
The sources added that the affected officers “are practically camped under terrible conditions, poorly fed and left sitting around with little or nothing to do.”
A source told SaharaReporters that some of the officers are stranded in the Gbongan area of Osun State.
The allegations have raised questions about why a large number of police personnel deployed specifically for the election have allegedly not been withdrawn weeks after the poll.
Ahead of the election, the Nigeria Police Force announced a major security operation in Osun State, involving thousands of personnel.
The Force said more than 15,000 police officers were deployed across the state’s 30 local government areas to provide security during the election.
The deployment included personnel from the Police Mobile Force and other specialised units.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, said the security arrangement was designed to cover polling units, collation centres and other strategic locations across the state.
The police also deployed Deputy Inspector-General of Police Ishyaku Mohammed to coordinate the security operations, while Assistant Inspectors-General and Commissioners of Police were deployed across the three senatorial districts.
The scale of the deployment was also confirmed by independent election observers.
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room reported that 15,000 police personnel were deployed for the election, alongside 10,210 personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and 100 officials of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
SaharaReporters also reported that ahead of the Saturday, August 15, Osun State governorship election, no fewer than 25,310 personnel from the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission were deployed across the state to provide security for the poll.
The Force had assured residents before the election that the massive deployment was intended to provide a secure environment for voters, electoral officials and other stakeholders.
However, sources familiar with the situation after the election alleged that a significant number of the officers deployed for the poll remained in Osun after the exercise.
The sources alleged that the personnel were effectively stranded in the state, with some facing poor feeding and inadequate welfare.
The Osun State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Ojelabi, had not responded to SaharaReporters’ requests for his comments on the allegations as of the time of filing this report.
Ojelabi did not respond to messages seeking his reaction, nor did he reply to text messages sent to his official phone contact.
The police are yet to publicly explain why some personnel deployed for the election are allegedly still being kept in Osun weeks after the poll, or address the claims of poor welfare conditions.
