Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke on Sunday called on residents to immediately report any suspicious movements or unfamiliar individuals in their neighbourhoods to security agencies.
His appeal followed a PUNCH Online exclusive on a Department of State Services (DSS) meeting with leaders of the Osun Muslim Community and the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state.
At the briefing, the religious leaders were informed of intelligence indicating that terrorists planned to move into South-West states, including Osun, to carry out attacks aimed at creating fear and discouraging voter participation in the 2027 general elections.
Responding in a statement signed by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke urged the public to alert authorities about any influx of strange faces, particularly in border communities.
“We must provide the police and other security agencies with intelligence reports on noticeable threats in our communities. As we are aware of alleged plots to attack our places of worship, we must become extra vigilant. Report anything unusual without any delay,” he said.
The governor commended the DSS for its proactive steps to counter the threats and directed other security agencies to review the situation and draw up action plans to better protect lives and property.
“I will soon convene the State Security Council meeting to assess the situation and the workability of our response plans. As residents of this state, we must collaborate with the security agencies through information sharing,” Adeleke stated.
He further advised residents to exercise caution over people they accommodate in their communities and called on traditional rulers to convene meetings of their traditional councils to discuss the development.
“We must nip in the bud the evil plans of enemies of public peace,” he said. “Our administration is committed to post-election peace-building, and we must tighten state security to foil any attempt by terrorists and bandits to disrupt public peace.”