Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has revealed that security operatives foiled an alleged plot by five young men to bomb the Ondo State Government House several months ago, disclosing that the suspects had assembled bomb‑making materials in a hotel room before a joint operation by the police and the state security network, Amotekun, led to their arrest. The governor made the disclosure on Wednesday, 3 June 2026, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, shortly after a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced four persons to death for the June 5, 2022 terrorist attack on St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State, which killed more than 40 worshippers and injured over 100 others.
According to Aiyedatiwa, the plot was uncovered about three or four months ago when intelligence reports alerted security agencies to suspicious activities. “I think it’s about three or four months ago, some youth, about five of them, they wanted to bomb the government house,” the governor said. He explained that the suspects had booked a hotel room where they stored all the necessary equipment and gadgets for the planned attack. “They were in their hotel, they didn’t move into a rented apartment, and they have all the equipment, all the gadgets,” Aiyedatiwa added.
Acting on the intelligence report, operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Amotekun corps raided the hotel, arrested the suspects and recovered the bomb‑making materials before any attack could be carried out. The governor confirmed that the suspects are still in detention while investigations continue. “They are still in detention right now. Their mission was to bomb the government house. For what reason? Only God knows,” Aiyedatiwa stated, noting that the motive behind the plot remains unclear.
The governor used the opportunity to highlight the ongoing work of security agencies in the state, stressing that isolated security incidents should not be interpreted as a failure of government efforts. “We have been doing so much … maybe one incident happened and it doesn’t mean that we have not been working,” he said. His remarks came in the wake of renewed public discussion on national security following the conviction and sentencing of four persons for the 2022 Owo church attack, which Aiyedatiwa described as evidence that “the law is finally taking its course”.
The foiled bomb plot is not an isolated incident. In April 2026, the governor expressed concern over the involvement of Ondo indigenes in a separate bomb attempt, disclosing that three indigenes of the state had colluded with three outsiders to plan an attack on government facilities. “How can citizens of Ondo State be joining outsiders to want to bomb Ondo State? For what reason?” Aiyedatiwa asked at the time. The six suspects in that case were arrested and are in custody.
In a related development, a separate report published on 16 April 2026 by starnews.com.ng had noted that the Ondo State Police Command had successfully foiled a major bomb plot in Akure, acting on credible intelligence to arrest six suspects. That operation was described as a testament to the effectiveness of intelligence‑led policing in the state.
Aiyedatiwa’s latest disclosure has drawn attention to the continuing security challenges facing different parts of the country, even as authorities record notable successes. While the governor did not provide further details about the identities of the five suspects or the exact timeline of the foiled Government House plot, his public acknowledgment of the incident underscores the reality that security threats to public institutions remain persistent and that the state’s security apparatus is actively working to neutralise them.
As of Thursday, 4 June 2026, the five suspects remain in detention, and investigations into their intended motive continue. The Ondo State Government has yet to release the names of the suspects or the specific nature of the bomb‑making materials recovered from their hotel room.
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