The Governor of Osun State, Ademola Adeleke, has urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious movements or individuals in their communities to security agencies.
Adeleke made the call in response to reported plans by terrorists to attack places of worship in the state, particularly urging residents of border communities to alert security agencies to any unusual developments.
In a statement signed by the governor’s spokesperson, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, Adeleke said intelligence sharing between residents and security agencies would be crucial to preventing threats to lives and property.
“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,” Adeleke said.
He commended the Department of State Services (DSS) for what he described as its proactive measures to counter the reported threats, while urging other security agencies to review the situation and strengthen their security plans.
“I commend the Department of State Services (DSS) for taking proactive measures to counter the threats. I charge other security agencies to review the situation and develop an action plan to strengthen the security of lives and property,” he said.
Adeleke also disclosed plans to convene a meeting of the State Security Council to assess the security situation and review the state’s response strategies.
“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,” the governor said.
He further advised residents to be cautious about people they accommodate in their communities and urged traditional rulers to convene meetings of their traditional councils to discuss the development.
“We should be wary of people we host in our communities. On this note, I charge our royal fathers to also host their traditional council meetings on this development. We must nip in the bud the evil plans of enemies of public peace,” Adeleke said.
The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to maintaining peace and security in the state, particularly following the recent governorship election.
“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,” he added.