DSS Terror Alert For South-West Must Trigger Urgent Preventive Action

An editorial has warned that the DSS’s alert on planned terrorist attacks in Osun and other South-West states must be treated seriously, noting that terrorism is typically preceded by reconnaissance, recruitment and planning rather than occurring spontaneously. It cited the May 15 abduction of about 39 pupils and seven teachers from three schools in Oriire LGA, Oyo State, and a January 6 attack that killed five forest guards in the same area, as warning signs that criminal elements had already identified vulnerabilities in the region.

The DSS reportedly warned Christian and Muslim leaders in Osogbo that terrorists were planning attacks on places of worship, markets, schools, clubs and viewing centres in the South-West, with an assessment that the goal was to create fear and instability ahead of the 2027 elections. Concerns were also raised over an influx of suspicious persons into Osun, including 200 herders who entered through Ikirun before being turned away, alongside Afenifere’s call for South-West governors to move from rhetoric to concrete security action, citing recent attacks in Ondo, Kwara and Kogi states.

The editorial urged South-West governors to convene an emergency regional security meeting, treat the alert as a collective threat, fund intelligence and surveillance capabilities, strengthen cooperation among security agencies, and deploy assets like Oyo’s surveillance aircraft. It called for Osun to boost Amotekun’s capacity and integrate community-based intelligence networks lawfully, while cautioning that vigilance must not become vigilantism. Religious institutions, markets, schools and other public venues were urged to review security arrangements, and the piece stressed that arrests must lead to proper investigation and prosecution, concluding that the region must act to prevent terrorism from gaining a foothold rather than responding only after attacks occur.