Osun Guber: 13 LGAs High-Risk, 34 Killed in One Year — CSOs Tell IGP

By Joseph Sunday

ABUJA — Thirteen of Osun State’s 30 Local Government Areas have been classified as high-risk ahead of the governorship election, with 34 persons killed in 44 election-related violent incidents between June 2025 and June 2026.

The disclosure was made on Thursday when civil society organisations working on elections met with the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Olatunji Rilwan Disu, at the Force Headquarters in Abuja.

The meeting, convened at the instance of the CSOs, was to present findings from pre-election assessments and security threat analyses, and to raise concerns over escalating violence and public perception of the neutrality of security agencies.

According to the groups, violence in the state has gone beyond isolated criminality to include targeting of party leaders and offices, coordinated shootings, political abductions and clashes around local government secretariats.

They noted that the Osun governorship poll, being the last major election before the 2027 general elections, is a critical test for election security and public confidence. A peaceful and credibly secured election, they said, would help rebuild public trust, while insecurity or perceived bias could deepen distrust ahead of 2027.

The CSOs also expressed concern over the aggressive use of force and perceived partiality of security personnel, citing public calls for the redeployment of the Osun State Commissioner of Police as evidence of declining trust. They urged the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies to ensure that neutrality is not only practised but also visible and verifiable.

IGP Announces New Command Structure:

Responding, IGP Disu reaffirmed that the Nigeria Police Force remains the lead agency for election security and will exercise operational leadership over all deployments in coordination with other security agencies.

To address concerns about neutrality, the IGP announced a new command arrangement for the election. CP Samuel Erale Etaifo has been deployed to take charge of election operations in Osun, with an Assistant Inspector-General of Police providing senior operational oversight. CP Abayomi Shogunle, PhD, will coordinate operations from the central monitoring centre in Abuja and will not be deployed to the field.

Disu disclosed that early deployment had commenced, with personnel already positioned in the state. He added that the Force would conduct a visible deterrence operation, including a show of force, to discourage violence, balanced with community engagement to avoid intimidation.

On election-day security, he said roadblocks and movement restrictions would be enforced, and political actors would not be allowed to move with security aides or armed escorts in violation of election-day rules.

He assured of impartial enforcement against electoral offences, including vote-buying, voter intimidation, ballot-box snatching and thuggery, regardless of political affiliation.

According to him, a minimum of four police officers will be deployed to each of the 3,673 polling units in the state, supported by personnel from other security agencies.

On threat mitigation, the IGP acknowledged the proliferation of cult groups, saying investigations indicate that some have been recruited by political actors. He confirmed that arrests have been made and that operations against such networks will continue, warning political actors against recruiting thugs.

He also acknowledged risks posed by disinformation and synthetic media, pledging to identify and counter harmful information operations and to take enforcement action where the law is violated.

Disu said the Force will pay special attention to the security and access needs of Persons with Disabilities, PWDs, and will engage disability organisations on inclusive policing, while ensuring a more gender-responsive deployment with more female officers.

He added that election-duty allowances have been paid to deployed officers to boost operational readiness and welfare, and pledged to maintain direct communication with accredited election observers and journalists through a designated liaison mechanism for briefings and escalation of verified security incidents.

Organisations in attendance were the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC; Centre for Journalism, Innovation and Development, CJID; CLEEN Foundation; The Kukah Centre; KIMPACT Development Initiative, KDI; Nigerian Women Trust Fund; Partners West Africa; TAF Africa; and Yiaga Africa.