Following the rumour circulating that a Church might be attacked by gunmen on Sunday in Osun state, security operatives were seen placed on red alert in some churches in the state to avert the alleged attack.
It will be recalled that apprehension enveloped the state since Saturday following a message that surfaced from an anonymous Facebook user, threatening to attack churches during worship on Sunday.
However, due to the rumoured news, many Christians shunned their places of worship on Sunday for fear of being attacked by unknown perpetrators.
Many church worshippers who attended services visited by our correspondent revealed that they worshipped in fear and were in a panicking condition.
At the entrance of several other churches, officers of the Osun state police command and operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were seen on the ground to foil any attack from potential perpetrators.
Some churches visited, where policemen were strategically placed, include St. Benedict Catholic Church in Popo, Osogbo, Living Faith Church State Headquarters in Osogbo, Cherubim and Seraphim number one, Celestial Church in Ayetoro, and other locations where police vehicles and armed personnel were visible.
Speaking on the development, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Yemisi Opalola, stated that security operatives were deployed to many worship centres in the state to ensure hitch-free worship.
According to her, security personnel are on the ground to secure the lives and properties of the people in the state.
Opalola further explained that security was deployed to several churches across the state since the threat of attacking churches in the state emerged on Saturday.
“However, across the state so far, there have been no reports of any incidents in all the churches, and cooperation across security agencies helped put the situation under control,” she stressed.
It will be recalled that Governor Ademola Adeleke has advised Osun residents to be security conscious, even as he assured that his administration has taken security precautions to secure the state.
In a message to the people of Osun state on Saturday, Governor Adeleke said he has directed heads of security agencies to deploy proactive crime and terrorism prevention strategies in response to alleged security threats reported by the intelligence community.
“I assure the people of Osun State that service chiefs have acted, and the security of lives and properties is guaranteed. Our people should not panic as both formal and informal apparatuses have been activated.
Our people should go about their normal businesses without fear. They should be conscious of their environment and report any suspicious movement to security operatives,” the statement concluded.
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