Hundreds of police officers deployed to Osun State for the August 15, 2026 governorship election have reportedly remained in the state weeks after the conclusion of the poll, with some personnel allegedly complaining about poor feeding and difficult living conditions.
Sources within the Nigeria Police Force told SaharaReporters that officers drawn from about 50 Police Mobile Force (MOPOL) squadrons were yet to return to their regular formations after being deployed to various parts of Osun for election security.
According to the sources, some of the affected personnel have continued to stay in temporary camps despite the completion of their election assignments.
The sources described the situation as concerning, alleging that some officers were poorly catered for and had little or no meaningful duties since the election ended.
Some personnel were reportedly stranded around the Gbongan area of Osun State, although the reason for their continued stay in the state was not immediately clear.
The development comes after the Nigeria Police Force mounted a large-scale security operation for the governorship election.
Before the poll, the police announced the deployment of more than 15,000 officers across Osun State’s 30 local government areas. The personnel included members of the Police Mobile Force and other specialised units assigned to polling centres, collation locations and other strategic areas.
The police also deployed senior officers to coordinate the operation, including a Deputy Inspector-General of Police, while Assistant Inspectors-General and Commissioners of Police were assigned to various parts of the state.
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room had similarly reported that about 15,000 police personnel were deployed for the election, alongside 10,210 officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and 100 officials from the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.
The combined deployment of the three agencies amounted to 25,310 personnel involved in securing the election.
Although the police had previously indicated that personnel would remain on the ground as part of post-election security arrangements, the latest allegations have raised questions about the prolonged stay of officers whose primary election assignments had ended.
Earlier reports indicated that the police retained personnel in Osun following the election amid concerns over possible post-election violence. The Force said senior officers and specialised units were maintaining heightened security across areas considered vulnerable.
However, sources cited in the latest report alleged that some of the officers were effectively stranded and facing inadequate welfare provisions.
The Osun State Police Command had reportedly not provided an explanation for the continued presence of the personnel or responded to the welfare allegations as of the time of the report.
The command’s spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, was said to have been contacted for comments but had not responded to messages seeking clarification.
The claims of poor welfare could not be independently verified.
The situation is expected to attract attention to the management of election-related deployments, particularly arrangements concerning accommodation, feeding, transportation and the timely return of security personnel to their regular formations.
