DSS alerts Osun religious leaders to terrorist plot targeting markets, worship sites

The Department of State Services has notified religious and community leaders across Osun State of intelligence pointing to a coordinated terrorist threat against markets, places of worship, and other spaces where crowds gather. The alert was delivered during separate meetings held on September 9, 2026, with officials from the Osun Muslim Community and the Christian Association of Nigeria in Osogbo, according to reports from September 13.

Security officials used these briefings to outline specific security protocols that religious institutions and market operators should implement to reduce their vulnerability. The DSS indicated that the identified terrorist groups are attempting to exploit public spaces and gatherings as part of a wider strategy to destabilise Nigeria before the 2027 general elections.

The timing of the alert suggests federal security agencies view the pre-election period as a window of heightened risk. Both Muslim and Christian communities in the state have now been put on notice, though the sources do not specify what preventive measures were recommended or whether any arrests have been made in connection with the plot.

This warning follows a pattern of security threats reported across multiple states in recent months. The DSS has not released additional details about the specific groups believed to be planning these attacks or confirmed whether similar alerts have been issued in other states ahead of the 2027 election cycle.