The Nigeria Police Force has rejected reports that hundreds of officers deployed for the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election remain stranded in the state weeks later without adequate food and basic welfare.
In a statement issued on Friday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Anietie Iniedu, the police described the continued presence of personnel as a standard post-election security measure rather than evidence of abandonment or neglect.
The clarification followed a report published earlier in the week by Sahara Reporters, which cited internal sources claiming that officers drawn from as many as 50 Police Mobile Force squadrons were still in Osun. Some were said to be camped under difficult conditions in areas including Gbongan, with inadequate food and little operational activity after their election duties ended.
The Force stated that the continued deployment follows established procedures designed to sustain security, prevent post-election violence, address emerging threats and ensure a smooth return to normal policing. “The duration of deployment is determined by operational and security needs,” the statement said.
It rejected claims that personnel had been abandoned or subjected to inadequate welfare. “All officers deployed for the election have received their approved entitlements, and command structures remain responsible for their welfare throughout the assignment,” the police said.
The statement also criticised media reports that portrayed the post-election arrangement as institutional neglect. Such reporting, it argued, misrepresents operational realities and risks undermining personnel morale and public confidence in the Force.
The police reiterated their commitment to the welfare of officers and said they would continue to deploy personnel strategically where necessary to protect lives and property and maintain public peace. Media organisations were urged to verify claims, particularly those attributed to unnamed sources, before publication.
The August 15 election was one of the most heavily secured off-cycle polls in recent years. The Nigeria Police Force deployed more than 15,000 personnel, including units of the Police Mobile Force in each of the state’s 30 local government areas, along with commissioners of police, a Deputy Inspector-General of Police coordinating operations, and aerial surveillance assets. Additional personnel from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other agencies brought the overall security presence higher still.
Incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party retained his seat with 511,067 votes. He defeated All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes. Adeleke won in 19 local government areas while Oyebamiji took 11. A total of 1,010,684 voters were accredited, with 985,079 valid votes recorded.
Days after the poll, the Force had publicly confirmed that election-deployed officers remained on the ground as part of a post-election security plan that also included anti-riot units and undercover operatives at strategic locations. Separate complaints later emerged from personnel of other security agencies about delayed payment of election duty allowances, though police officers from the Osun command were reported to have received theirs shortly after the vote.
The latest denial comes as the state adjusts to the election outcome and the police leadership in Osun undergoes further changes. The Force maintains that the residual presence of officers is a deliberate operational decision, not a failure of logistics or welfare.