Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Osun State Government has approved the establishment of a Joint Security Task Force to strengthen its response to fresh security threats, following a Department of State Services alert warning that terrorists were plotting attacks on churches, mosques, schools, markets, and other public gathering centres across the state. The decision was reached at a State Security Council meeting convened by Governor Ademola Adeleke and presided over by Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi, with the newly deployed Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, in attendance alongside other security commanders. The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, announced the development in a statement on Thursday, September 17, 2026, stating that the government had pledged to provide the necessary logistics to support the task force and improve the protection of lives and property across Osun State.
The security council meeting, which lasted several hours, was convened in response to intelligence reports that terrorists were planning to move from northern states into the South-West and target public gathering centres to create tension ahead of the 2027 general elections. The DSS had issued the alert during separate meetings with Muslim and Christian leaders in Osogbo on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, advising religious leaders to strengthen security arrangements and pass the warning to their congregations, schools, and other institutions that regularly host large gatherings. The alleged targets listed in the report included churches, mosques, markets, schools, clubs, and viewing centres. The development followed an intelligence report that terrorists were plotting to spread insecurity to the southern part of the country, particularly the South-West, and create tension ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
At the meeting, Deputy Governor Adewusi conveyed the governor’s best wishes to the service commanders and commended them for their steadfastness during recent security challenges, urging them not to relent in the face of the fresh threats. He reaffirmed Governor Adeleke’s commitment to further empowering security agencies to secure the state and called on traditional rulers to sustain their roles in local security oversight within their respective domains. The Deputy Governor was accompanied by the Attorney-General of the state, Wole Jimi-Bada; the Head of Service, Ayanleye Aina; and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Security, Samuel Ojo.
The council directed the Nigeria Police, in collaboration with other security agencies, to maintain a 24-hour red alert to curtail the threats posed by suspected bandits and terrorists. It also reached an agreement between the Ministry of Justice, the Nigeria Police, and the Department of State Services to collaborate in ensuring that suspects are properly investigated and prosecuted without delay. The council sought to reassure residents that Osun remained safe and secure but urged them to remain vigilant, particularly around churches, mosques, and schools. It called on proprietors and managers of such facilities to strengthen security arrangements around their premises and appealed to members of the public to provide timely and credible intelligence to security agencies to help prevent possible attacks.
The security alert had earlier prompted Governor Adeleke, who was on vacation in Europe at the time, to call for public vigilance and order a security review. In a statement issued on Sunday, September 13, 2026, the governor urged residents to report any suspicious movements or individuals in their communities to security agencies without delay, particularly in border communities. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to post-election peace-building and said the state would tighten security measures to prevent terrorists and bandits from disrupting public peace. “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,” Governor Adeleke was quoted as saying.
The DSS alert had a significant impact on religious communities across Osun State. Pastor John Adeleke, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Osun State, confirmed that the DSS invited him to a separate session and asked him to pass security warnings to churches and school owners across the state. Religious leaders were advised to take preventive measures, including night guards at mosques and stricter security protocols at churches and schools. The alert also drew reactions from civil society and political stakeholders. Afenifere, the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organisation, raised serious concerns over the DSS alert, referencing the threat by bandits to unleash terrorism in Osun State with a view to imperilling the forthcoming general elections. Other stakeholders urged security agencies to take the threats seriously and strengthen security around public places.
The establishment of the Joint Security Task Force is the latest in a series of security measures taken by the Adeleke administration in recent months. In June 2026, the governor activated layers of the state’s security architecture to protect schools and communities, deploying hunters and Amotekun operatives alongside conventional security forces. He held three days of back-to-back security meetings aimed at preventing school kidnappings in the state. The state has also invested in the Osun Amotekun Corps, which has recorded a series of arrests and foiled kidnapping attempts in recent weeks. The new task force is expected to build on these efforts by creating a more coordinated framework for joint operations among the police, the DSS, the military, Amotekun, and other security agencies operating in the state.
The timing of the security alert is significant. The 2027 general elections are approaching, and the South-West has been identified as a region where terrorists and bandits could attempt to disrupt the electoral process. The DSS alert specifically warned that the attacks were planned to frustrate the 2027 elections, suggesting that the threat is politically motivated as well as criminal. The Osun State Government has framed its response as both a security measure and a defence of democratic stability. The council’s decision to put security agencies on 24-hour red alert and to establish a joint task force reflects a recognition that the threat requires sustained vigilance rather than a temporary surge in deployments.
For residents of Osun State, the establishment of the task force offers some reassurance, but the underlying anxiety remains. The DSS alert named specific targets, including places of worship and schools, which are central to community life. Parents, worshippers, and market traders are being asked to remain vigilant while going about their daily routines. The government has urged residents to provide timely intelligence to security agencies, but intelligence-sharing requires trust, and trust depends on visible action. The task force will need to demonstrate that it can respond rapidly to threats and that the information it receives will be acted upon. The coming weeks will test whether the new arrangement produces results or whether the alerts fade from public attention until the next warning.
The establishment of the Joint Security Task Force is a necessary step, but it is not a solution on its own. Security threats in Nigeria’s South-West are complex, involving a mix of banditry, terrorism, and politically motivated violence. Addressing them requires not only coordination among security agencies but also investment in intelligence gathering, community engagement, and the prosecution of suspects. The council’s directive that the Ministry of Justice, the police, and the DSS collaborate to ensure prompt investigation and prosecution is a recognition that arrests alone are insufficient. The task force must be supported with adequate resources, clear operational guidelines, and political will. The people of Osun State deserve nothing less.
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