Before the governorship election in Osun State on Saturday, the police and other security services, including the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, have declared war on vote-buyers and created strategies to disrupt their actions.
To prevent electoral fraud, the security services sent detectives, including undercover agents, to observe the election and detain vote-buyers.
In addition, the Civil Defense Corps, Amotekun Corps, and troops will be sent out to assist the police.
Vote-buying has tarnished the credibility of recent elections in the nation as voters are extensively persuaded at voting places by representatives of political parties to influence the results in favor of the highest spender.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, revealed the police strategy against vote-buying in an interview with PUNCH on Tuesday. He added that the force will not put up with any electoral fraud during the Osun election.
He explained that the police would make use of the Federal Intelligence Bureau, the Tactical Corps, and the Special Forces to lessen the instances of vote-buying.
The Federal Intelligence Bureau is the pinnacle of the Force’s intelligence gathering, according to the Nigeria Police Force website, www.npf.gov.ng. It is the sole division of the Force that offers information on criminal activity and national security.
The force spokesman responded that the Force Intelligence Bureau will be there when asked whether the police would send undercover officers to observe the election and detain anyone buying votes.
He said: “The FIB operatives are there, Tactical Corps have been deployed to Osun, including my department-Public Relations Department. So every unit and sector of the department of police is involved.
“Don’t forget that we have the Electoral Offences Desk officer who happens to be the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of CID in Osun state. He will collate and investigate all electoral offences. They are there to do their job while we appeal to the people of the state to be calm and law-abiding.”
