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The Department of State Services has alerted Muslim and Christian leaders in Osun State to an alleged plan by terrorists to attack places of worship and other public gathering centres as part of efforts to frustrate the 2027 general elections, Sunday PUNCH has gathered.

It was learnt that the DSS held separate meetings with the Muslim community and the Christian Association of Nigeria in Osogbo on Wednesday, where the religious leaders were advised to take preventive measures against possible attacks.

The development followed an intelligence report that terrorists were plotting to spread insecurity to the southern part of the country, especially the South-West, and create tension in the build-up to the presidential election.

Confirming the meeting with the DSS, the President of the Osun State Muslim Community, Alhaji Mustapha Olawuyi, said the security report was true, adding that the religious bodies had been advised on preventive measures.

According to Olawuyi, who spoke with Sunday PUNCH on Friday, the DSS had outlined various proactive steps.

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.”

Details of the DSS meeting with the Muslim leaders were also contained in an audio message sent to imams across the state by Olawuyi, which was obtained by Sunday PUNCH.

In the audio message, the OSMC president said, “The DSS came from Abuja to Osun to warn us about a plot by some politicians and terrorists to frustrate the 2027 election, and for every one of us to be careful.

“The officers said they had intelligence that the terrorists would mobilise to the southern part of the country and the South-West, especially to cause mayhem so that the election may not hold or cause apathy.

“They advised that all religious centres should be watchful. They told us not to allow anybody with a car to park close to the people or congregation during Jumat prayer or gathering. They warned us against allowing anybody to sleep in the mosque. They also told us to be careful of compromised commercial motorcycles and herders. They told us to have night guards at every mosque.”

Similarly, the Osun CAN Chairman, Pastor John Adeleke, confirmed the meeting, saying the DSS asked them to inform churches and school owners to be security-conscious.

An extract from a report of the meeting, circulated across some Christian WhatsApp groups in the state, read in part, “The DSS Osun State Command called for a meeting with the OSCAN Chairman, Rev. Dr John Adeleke, on the alertness of security in Osun State.

“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.

“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.”

The report, titled, ‘The Report of the Meeting Held with the Department of State Security Osun State Command Today, Wednesday, 9th September, 2026’, was signed by the State Assistant Secretary, Osun CAN, Ajayi J.K.

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Osun CAN chairman said the DSS told the Christian leaders not to allow unknown people to park vehicles near church premises and advised against night programmes.

He added that they were told to educate CAN members on the need for them to be vigilant.

The CAN chairman also said the church leaders were advised to ask relevant questions before allowing a visitor into their premises, adding that the DSS also told them to inform school owners and other places that usually have large gatherings to be security-conscious.

“After sharing with us that the churches will need to be careful and that we should encourage our churches also to be on alert, we sent the message to all our blocs and different platforms, where our people may be informed.

“For example, they told us we should not allow a strange vehicle to park near churches because there may be explosives inside the car. They also told our leaders throughout the state that they should be careful, and any visitor that comes around should be questioned before we allow him or her into the premises of the church.

“They also said we should be careful of night programmes, so that the people will not take advantage of the darkness to perpetrate their evil plans. The message is that our people should be security-conscious. If they see anything, they should say it. They also told us to inform school owners to be security-conscious. The government is aware too. God is our divine protector, but in areas where we need to be careful, we want to be,” Adeleke added.

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The death toll from the suspected poisoning linked to the consumption of herbal concoctions and alcoholic substances in Odigbo Local Government Area of Ondo State has risen to 29, with 60 suspected cases recorded.

The state Commissioner for Health, Dr Banji Awolowo Ajaka, disclosed this on Saturday while giving an update on the unusual cluster of sudden illnesses and deaths reported in communities across Odigbo.

Ajaka said three of the suspected victims were currently receiving treatment in hospital, while 27 others were under observation. He added that 95 per cent of those affected were males aged between 16 and 55 years.

According to the commissioner, the affected communities include New Town, Odole, Okele and Orita Odigbo in Odigbo Ward, as well as Araromi-Obu, while another suspected case was reported in Oniparaga, all within Odigbo Local Government Area.

He said the Ministry of Health became aware of the initial cluster following reports of sudden deaths in New Town on September 3, after which further investigations revealed additional deaths in surrounding settlements.

Ajaka said a second cluster was later identified in Araromi-Obu, where eight people reportedly died after consuming an alcoholic substance at a naming ceremony.

He said the affected persons presented symptoms including headache, general body pains, weakness, visual disturbance, difficulty in breathing and altered consciousness, with some deteriorating rapidly and dying.

The commissioner said the pattern of illness and the reported history of exposure had raised a strong epidemiological suspicion of exposure to a probable toxic alcoholic substance, stressing, however, that the specific cause of the deaths had not been established through laboratory evidence.

“At present, we have strong epidemiological suspicion of a toxic exposure associated with an alcoholic substance, but laboratory confirmation of the specific toxic agent is still pending,” he said.

Ajaka disclosed that 36 biological specimens, including blood and urine samples, had been collected and submitted for laboratory analysis. Samples of suspected alcoholic substances recovered from the affected communities had also been secured for toxicological investigation in collaboration with the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC).

He said the state government had activated an emergency response involving health authorities, the affected local government, traditional institutions, security and regulatory agencies.

As part of the response, the government has placed a temporary ban on the production and sale of locally brewed alcoholic and alcoholic-herbal beverages in Odigbo.

Ajaka urged residents to avoid suspected alcoholic substances from unlicensed sources and seek immediate medical attention if they develop symptoms such as blurred vision, difficulty in breathing, sudden weakness, collapse or altered consciousness.

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Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has explained why the Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge has yet to open to motorists, saying contractors are still working on parts of the project.

Mr Sanwo-Olu disclosed on Thursday during a dinner with some selected journalists in Lagos, TVC reported.

He noted that the government did not want to open the bridge before the contractors brought in the large cranes needed to complete the remaining work.

“We didn’t want to open it and now need to shut it down again before they arrive,” he said.

The governor stressed that the contractors had assured the government that the work would be completed within two weeks.

“They’ve assured us that in another two weeks, it should be completed,” he stated.

That would put the expected opening towards the end of September, if the contractors meet the latest deadline.

The project has, however, missed several earlier completion targets.

In December 2023, Mr Sanwo-Olu noted that the bridge, which was about 65 per cent complete at the time, would be ready by the second or third quarter of 2024.

In June 2024, the state government said the project would be completed before the end of that year.

In April that President Bola Tinubu sent Nigeria’s Senate President Godswill Akpabio to commission the road.

“The Ojota–Opebi Link Bridge is more than a road; it is a bridge to opportunities. In a city like Lagos, movement is everything. When traffic improves, productivity also improves. When time is saved, businesses grow. When access is made easier, lives also get better,” Mr Akpabio said.

On 3 September, Mr Sanwo-Olu again said the bridge would be opened before the end of September, with finishing work still ongoing.

“I want to assure you that the Opebi Link Bridge will be opened by the end of September. We are trying to install the ark on the bridge. We want to make it a tourist attraction,” he stated.

Explaining the work left to be done, the governor mentioned an architectural feature he described as an “iconic cane” structure over the bridge.

He said the feature was intended to give the bridge a distinctive appearance and that the government wanted the planned work completed before motorists were allowed to use the facility.

The Ojota-Opebi Link Bridge is expected to provide an alternative route connecting Opebi, Mende, Maryland and Ojota and help ease traffic on roads around the area.