Police warn against vote buying during Osun poll, to prosecute offenders

The Nigeria police force have warned against the buying and selling of votes in the Osun state governorship election scheduled to hold on Saturday.

In a statement, Jimoh Moshood, police spokesman, said the force will “deal decisively” with anyone found culpable.

“The Nigeria Police Force will not tolerate, condone, or allow vote buying and selling to take place anywhere in Osun State before and during the election,” Moshood said in the statement on Sunday.

“The Force hereby wishes to warn all political parties and their flag bearers to prevail on their agents, members and supporters not to engage in buying and selling of votes which is in violation of the electoral act.

“The following phone numbers can be used by any member of the public who noticed any act of Vote Buying and Selling anywhere in the State before and during the election: (i) 08037025670 (ii) 08037160989 (iii) 08033415589 (iv) 08032451594.

“The Police personnel and that of other security agencies have been trained and briefed not to abdicate their duty, hesitate or contemplate the immediate arrest, detention and hand over to the Police joint team specially setup by the IGP to tackle and deal decisively in accordance with the law anybody or group, agents of political parties or their sponsor(s) who engages or attempt vote buying and selling during the election, inclusive the buyers and the sellers will not be spared.”

Moshood said the deputy inspector-general of police (operations) deployed to the state for the exercise will be assisted by eight commissioners and an assistant inspector-general of police.

“Four (4) unarmed Policemen and two (2) others from other security agencies will be on duty at each voting point throughout the State. The Police Mobile Force (PMF) headed by the very Senior Officer will provide security at the RAC, Super RAC and Collation centres,” he said.

“Two (2) Police Patrol Surveillance Helicopters, Thirty (30) Armoured Personnel Carriers, Ten (10) Armoured Personnel Vehicles and Three Hundred (300) Police patrol vehicles are already deployed to cover the entire State including difficult terrains. Other security and safety agencies who are members of Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in the State have also been posted to complement the Nigeria Police Force during the election.”