The Department of State Services has alerted religious leaders in Osun State to an alleged plan by terrorists to attack worship centres and other locations where large numbers of people gather.
The warning was reportedly issued during separate meetings between DSS officials and representatives of the Muslim and Christian communities in Osogbo on Wednesday.
According to Sunday PUNCH, the security agency said the alleged plan was linked to efforts to create fear and disrupt the 2027 general elections.
The President of the Osun State Muslim Community, Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi, confirmed that the meeting with the DSS took place and said religious leaders were advised to strengthen security around their places of worship.
Olawuyi said the security agency had received intelligence suggesting that terrorists were seeking to expand their activities into the southern part of the country, particularly the South-West.
“The meeting is true; it was held on Wednesday in Osogbo. We need to be careful and vigilant,” he said.
He added that the DSS advised mosque leaders against allowing vehicles to park close to worshippers and warned against permitting unknown persons to sleep inside mosques.
Olawuyi also said religious centres were encouraged to engage night guards and remain alert to suspicious movements around their premises.
He disclosed that the security briefing had subsequently been communicated to imams across the state.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Osun State, Pastor John Adeleke, confirmed that the Christian community also met with DSS officials.
Adeleke said the security agency urged churches, schools and other facilities that attract large gatherings to improve their security measures.
He said churches were particularly advised to be cautious about unfamiliar vehicles and visitors around their premises.
“They told us we should not allow a strange vehicle to park near churches because there may be explosives inside the car,” Adeleke said.
He added that church leaders were advised to properly identify visitors before granting them access to their premises and to exercise caution when organising programmes at night.
The CAN chairman said the warning had been circulated to various Christian groups across the state to ensure that members remained vigilant.
He urged residents to report suspicious activities to the appropriate authorities, stressing that security was a collective responsibility.
The DSS has not publicly issued a statement detailing the alleged threat, while the security agency’s warning, as relayed by the religious leaders, could not independently be verified.
