The Osun State police has announced a full restriction to all vehicular and human movements during the Osun State governorship election which would be coming up this Saturday.
Johnson Kokumo who is the deputy Inspector General of Police in charge of the poll made the announcement on Thursday. The DIG had also met accredited election observer groups, non-governmental organizations and the media.
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Kokumo said there would be now movement from 12 midnight to 6 p.m. on the same day. He confirmed that essential workers and election observers and media would be allowed to operate.
Kokumo said the police have the understanding, the cooperation and the collaboration of other services.
Adequate security arrangements had been made for the three senatorial districts, the 332 wards and the 3,763 polling units, he added.
“We have officers on the ground, air deployment with helicopters and have also deployed police marine on the waterways.”
Kokumo vowed that the police were ready to arrest those who seek to take laws into their hands or violate the electoral act.
“Vote buying and selling is an electoral offence.We will arrest the culprits and process them through the court”, the DIG added.
A Federal High Court sitting in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, has also slammed a restraint on the Osun Security Network which has been codenamed Amotekun Corps from participating in Saturday’s gubernatorial election.
The court order had also mandated that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should avoid making use of the Amotekun Corps as part of the personnel to be deployed to provide security in the election.
The order warned Amotekun not to serve as either security personnel or volunteer in the guber election.
Part of the order reads, “That the 1st defendant (INEC) is hereby restrained from requesting the deployment of the second defendant (AMOTEKUN) as part of the security personnel deployable for the purpose of Osun 2022 governorship election pending the determination of the originating summons filed in the suit.”
Speaking on the court order, Hashim Abioye stated, “With this order, it is forbidden for the INEC to make use of Amotekun as part of the security personnel to be drafted for the election.
“As I speak to you, those concerned, the INEC, police and other relevant agencies, have been appropriately served.”