Religious leaders in Osun State have been put on alert by the Department of State Services (DSS) over an alleged terrorist plot targeting worship centres and other public spaces, as part of a scheme to disrupt the 2027 general elections.
According to PUNCH report, security operatives met separately with Muslim leaders and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Osogbo on Wednesday, September 9, where both groups were briefed on precautionary steps to take against potential attacks.
The security briefing came amid intelligence suggesting that armed groups were plotting to destabilize the southern region, with particular focus on the South-West, in a bid to heighten tension before the presidential poll.
The President of the Osun State Muslim Community, Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi, confirmed to the publication that the meeting with the DSS indeed took place and was not a rumor. He stated that operatives had laid out a number of preventive measures for religious bodies to adopt.
According to Olawuyi, the Wednesday meeting in Osogbo was confirmed, and he stressed the need for continued caution, noting that suspicious elements had repeatedly tried to gain entry into the state.
He recalled that around 200 herders had earlier been turned back after flooding into Osun through the Ikirun axis, alongside other individuals who had entered on motorcycles and could not communicate in the local language, prompting community members to send them away.
Olawuyi commended the DSS for its intelligence gathering and efforts to keep residents informed.
A voice recording sent to imams across the state, also credited to Olawuyi, offered further details of the security briefing.
In the message, he explained that DSS operatives had travelled from Abuja to warn of a scheme by certain politicians and terrorist elements to sabotage the 2027 election, urging everyone to remain vigilant.
He added that the officers disclosed intelligence pointing to a planned mobilization of terrorists toward southern Nigeria, especially the South-West, with the goal of causing chaos that could either prevent the election from holding or discourage voter turnout.
Per the message, religious centres were advised to stay alert, with specific instructions barring vehicles from parking near worshippers during Friday prayers or other gatherings.
Mosques were also warned against allowing strangers to sleep on their premises, while caution was urged regarding unfamiliar commercial motorcyclists and herders. Night security was recommended for every mosque.
In a similar vein, the Osun CAN Chairman, Pastor John Adeleke, verified that a parallel meeting held with Christian leaders saw the DSS urging church and school authorities to tighten security awareness.
A summary of that meeting, which circulated among Christian WhatsApp groups in the state, indicated that the DSS Osun Command had invited Adeleke to a security briefing session.
The document noted that, based on intelligence gathered by the security agency, terrorist elements had reportedly already mapped out Osun State as a target, with plans to strike in the period leading up to the presidential election.
It stated that the attackers’ route was expected to pass through Kaduna and Jos before advancing toward Osun.
The report further disclosed that likely targets included gathering points such as churches, mosques, markets, schools, clubs, and viewing centres, with religious institutions urged to reinforce their security arrangements accordingly.
The document, titled “The Report of the Meeting Held with the Department of State Security Osun State Command Today, Wednesday, September 9, 2026,” bore the signature of the CAN Osun Assistant Secretary, Ajayi J.K.
