Osun 2022: IG Pledges Tight Security, Deploys Senior Officers

Chuks Okocha

The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Alkali Baba, has deployed senior police officers for the July 16 governorship election in Osun State, promising tight security for the exercise.

He also moved the Osun State Commissioner of Police, Olokode Taoheed Olawale, temporarily to the Force Headquarters until the conclusion of the election.

Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement, saying the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), DIG Johnson Babatunde Kokumo, would supervise the election.

To assist Kokumo are four Assistant Inspectors-General of Police, four Commissioners of Police, 15 Deputy Commissioners of Police, and 30 Assistant Commissioners of Police.

According to the Force spokesman, adequate police personnel of the rank of Chief Superintendents of Police and below has equally been deployed for the election.

“DIG Kokumo is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Operation Order evolved from the Election Security Threat Assessment, to ensure a peaceful and conducive environment devoid of violence and to guarantee law-abiding citizens in the state of a secured space to freely perform their civic responsibilities without molestation or intimidation.

“Other Senior Officers deployed are tasked with coordinating human and other operational deployments in the three senatorial districts, 30 local government areas and the 3,753 polling units in Osun State,” he said.

To replace the Osun State police commissioner is the Provost Marshall at the Force Headquarters, CP Julius Alawari.

As a means of boosting security for the exercise, the IG further noted that the personnel, comprising conventional police officers, Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Special Forces personnel, Explosives Ordinance Disposal Unit (EOD), Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), INTERPOL, Special Protection Unit (SPU), Police Airwing, Public Relations Department (FPRD), as well as Police Medical Teams, would be on the ground to guarantee free, fair, credible and acceptable election.

This is in addition to the deployment of five Armored Personnel Carriers for a patrol as well as three helicopters and six Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for aerial surveillance among other unique operational assets that were also deployed.