Guber Poll: 11,226 NSCDC Officers Arrive Osun To Beef Up Security

In an effort to have an hitch-free Guber election in Osun, the Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr Ahmed Audi,(MNI), has ordered for the deployment of 11,226 officers to man the 3,763 polling units, collation centres, flash points as well as Critical National Assets and Infrastructure in all the Local Government Areas of the State.

The deployed personnel were said to have been picked from the national headquarters and nine other State Commands; Osun, Ondo, Ekiti, Oyo, Ogun, Lagos, Kwara, Kogi and Edo to supply manpower for the election.

According to a release made available to journalists on Thursday through his Director, Public Relations Unit, NSCDC National Headquarters,Abuja, DCC Olusola Odumosu, stated that the sole objective of the Corps is to enhance the security architecture of the state before, during and after the election.

Saying, the personnel had attended various workshops on best practices during election.

The CG further stressed that the officers have been trained and lectured about the rules and regulations guiding electoral process.

” Our Personnel have been acquainted with the provisions of the Electoral Act as regards Rules of Engagement, hence, must comply with the Corps’ Operational Code, Standard Operating Procedure and above all, display of professionalism and high sense of discipline throughout the election period.

“This robust operational order has been activated to ensure a hitch free exercise and guide against molestation and intimidation of the electorates by hoodlums or party thugs”.

Dr Audi, also said the Corps’ undercover personnel from the National Headquaters were part of the deployment to join their counterparts in Osun State for covert operations to nip any security compromise in the bud.

While assigning duties to the senior Officers,CG Audi placed Deputy Commandant General (DCG) in charge of Operations, Dauda Mungadi to oversee the election exercise.

He also designated Assistant Commandant General (ACG) Operations, Philip Ayuba, Zonal Commander (Zone J), Fasiu Adeyinka and Commandant Special Duties, Oliver Ugwuja to serve as field Commanders monitoring each senatorial district of the state.

“To ensure that critical assets of government are not vandalized by criminal elements before, during and after the election, there shall be deployment of the Ant-vandalism Squad, Critical National Asset protection unit and other special forces to all key points in the State to protect them against vandalism, damage or arson,”he added.

He stressed that, a pool of officers shall be drawn from Special Forces, such as Arms Squad Unit, Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU), Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear and Explosives Unit (CBRNE), the Special Female Squad, Rapid Response Squad, K9 and SWAT Unit, different from the regular conventional personnel, in order to have a successful execution of the assignment.

The CG posited that to always be on security alert during the election, enjoyed the general public to use the following phone numbers to report any act of insecurity in any part of the state: For ease of communication, the Corps has provided Operational Hot Lines – 08060003181, 08032898909 and N-Alert Situation Room Hotlines:
08066005861, 08032928878 and 07034322058.

He therefore stated the readiness of the Corps’s to partner sister agencies to ensure a hitch-free poll and warn all personnel deployed to remain apolitical, saying whosoever is found practicing unethical conduct during the election would be severely punished.