By The Department of State Services has alerted Muslim and Christian leaders in Osun State to intelligence suggesting terrorists are plotting attacks on places of worship and other public gathering spots, as part of a broader effort to disrupt the 2027 general elections.
Separate Briefings for Religious Communities
The DSS held two separate meetings in Osogbo on Wednesday, one with the Muslim community and another with the Christian Association of Nigeria, where leaders were briefed on the threat and advised on preventive measures. The warning stems from intelligence indicating that terrorists are working to spread insecurity into southern Nigeria, particularly the South-West, in order to generate tension ahead of the presidential election.
Muslim Leaders Briefed on Precautions
Confirming the meeting, President of the Osun State Muslim Community, Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi, said on Friday that the security report was genuine and that religious bodies had been given specific guidance on staying safe.
“The meeting is true; it was held on Wednesday in Osogbo. We need to be careful and vigilant. These people (terrorists) have been trying to infiltrate Osun for quite some time. We had, some time ago, sent back some herders, numbering about 200, who flooded Osun from the Ikirun axis. There were also some individuals who came into the state on motorcycles. They didn’t understand our language and we had to send them back. The DSS is doing a very good job in terms of intelligence and alerting the people,” Olawuyi said.
An audio message sent by Olawuyi to imams across the state offered further detail on what security officials shared during the meeting. In the recording, Olawuyi said, “The DSS came from Abuja to Osun to warn us about a plot by some politicians and terrorists to frustrate the 2027 election, and for every one of us to be careful. The officers said they had intelligence that the terrorists would mobilise to the southern part of the country and the South-West, especially to cause mayhem so that the election may not hold or cause apathy. They advised that all religious centres should be watchful. They told us not to allow anybody with a car to park close to the people or congregation during Jumat prayer or gathering. They warned us against allowing anybody to sleep in the mosque. They also told us to be careful of compromised commercial motorcycles and herders. They told us to have night guards at every mosque.”
Christian Leaders Given Similar Warning
Osun CAN Chairman Pastor John Adeleke also confirmed that a parallel meeting had taken place, saying the DSS urged Christian leaders to pass the warning along to churches and school owners so they could tighten security.
A written extract from the meeting, circulated in Christian WhatsApp groups across the state, described the scope of the threat in more detail: “The DSS Osun State Command called for a meeting with the OSCAN Chairman, Rev. Dr John Adeleke, on the alertness of security in Osun State. They made it known, based on their intelligence and security expertise, that the attackers or the terrorists have mapped Osun State, and that between now and the period of the coming presidential election, they will attack some states. They planned to go through Kaduna, Jos and come down to Osun State. Their targets are places of gathering, such as churches, mosques, markets, schools, clubs or viewing centres, etc., and we are asked to put tight security in place in our churches.”
The document, titled “The Report of the Meeting Held with the Department of State Security Osun State Command Today, Wednesday, 9th September, 2026,” was signed by the State Assistant Secretary of Osun CAN, identified as Ajayi J.K.
Adeleke told AfrikTimes that the DSS specifically warned against allowing unfamiliar vehicles to park near church premises and cautioned against holding night programmes, while also urging church leaders to educate their members on the need for heightened vigilance. He said congregations were advised to question unfamiliar visitors before granting them access to church premises, and that school owners and operators of other venues that attract large crowds were also urged to strengthen security.
“After sharing with us that the churches will need to be careful and that we should encourage our churches also to be on alert, we sent the message to all our blocs and different platforms, where our people may be informed. For example, they told us we should not allow a strange vehicle to park near churches because there may be explosives inside the car. They also told our leaders throughout the state that they should be careful, and any visitor that comes around should be questioned before we allow him or her into the premises of the church. They also said we should be careful of night programmes, so that the people will not take advantage of the darkness to perpetrate their evil plans. The message is that our people should be security-conscious. If they see anything, they should say it. They also told us to inform school owners to be security-conscious. The government is aware too. God is our divine protector, but in areas where we need to be careful, we want to be,” Adeleke said.
