ABUJA, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, deployed a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Ishyaku Mohammed, on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, to coordinate security operations for the Osun State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Ani Iniedu, disclosed the deployment in an official statement issued in Abuja. Okay News reports that Ani Iniedu stated the deployment forms part of measures to ensure a peaceful, secure, and credible electoral process across the state.
Iniedu said, “DIG Mohammed will coordinate the Police component of the election-security arrangement and work closely with other security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES),” adding that Mohammed will be supported by an Assistant Inspector-General of Police and a Commissioner of Police deployed across the three senatorial districts of Osun State.
The deployment supplements a prior mobilisation of about 15,000 police operatives, including conventional officers, specialists, the Police Mobile Force, dog section, and medical personnel overseen by Commissioner of Police Erale Etaifo. The Nigeria Police Force confirmed that security arrangements cover voters, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) personnel, election materials, polling units, collation centres, accredited observers, and media practitioners.
Disu issued a warning to political actors and their supporters, stating that ballot snatching, voter intimidation, political thuggery, and other electoral offences will result in arrest and prosecution. The statement reaffirmed a ban on armed escorts, security aides, state-established security outfits, quasi-security groups, and private security organisations from election security duties.
The statement added, “The Nigeria Police Force reassures residents, voters, and visitors in Osun State of adequate security and urges all eligible citizens to exercise their franchise peacefully and without fear,” ahead of the poll contesting 14 candidates, including incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke.
