According to Sunday PUNCH, the Department of State Services (DSS) has alerted Muslim and Christian leaders in Osun State to an alleged terrorist plot targeting places of worship and other public gathering venues ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The report said the DSS held separate meetings with the Christian Association of Nigeria and the Muslim community in Osogbo on Wednesday. The agency advised religious leaders to take precautions against possible attacks.
Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi, President of the Osun State Muslim Community, confirmed the meeting with the DSS and said the security information was credible. He added that the religious organisations had received advice on precautionary measures.
Olawuyi told Sunday PUNCH on Friday that the DSS had outlined several proactive measures.
The move followed an intelligence report alleging that terrorists planned to stir tension ahead of the presidential election and spread insecurity across southern Nigeria, particularly the Southwest.
He said, “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.”
Further details of the DSS meeting with the Muslim leaders were included in an audio message that Olawuyi delivered to imams around the state, which Sunday PUNCH was able to obtain.
Osun CAN Chairman confirms
In a similar vein, Pastor John Adeleke, Chairman of the Osun State chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), confirmed the meeting and stated that the Department of State Services (DSS) urged leadership to advise school and church proprietors to maintain heightened vigilance.
According to an excerpt from a meeting report circulated across regional Christian WhatsApp groups, the DSS Osun State Command initiated the meeting with Rev. Dr. John Adeleke to raise awareness regarding the state’s current security environment.
“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.
The Osun CAN Chairman informed Sunday PUNCH that security officials instructed Christian leaders to prohibit unfamiliar vehicles from parking near church premises and advised against conducting night time gatherings.
“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.”
He added that leadership was instructed to emphasize the necessity of continuous alertness to all CAN members.
Backstory…
Meanwhile, these attacks come just few weeks after the conclusion of the OSUN State governorship election.
The latest security concerns come amid a worrying escalation in attacks across parts of Nigeria, where armed groups have become increasingly bold in their operations.
In some communities, the threat has gone beyond sudden raids and kidnappings, with suspected terrorists and bandits now sending warning messages to residents before carrying out attacks.
In February 2026, suspected terrorists circulated warning letters to communities in Kaiama and Oyun Local Government Areas, threatening to attack them. One such letter was dropped in Ira, while another had earlier been sent to Dunshigogo in Kaiama.
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