Fear has spread among residents of Lagos following the arrest of two suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, in the state, according to PREMIUM TIMES.
It was gathered that the suspects, identified as Modu Gana and Ibrahim Dugge, were arrested on Sunday, December 21, by operatives of the State Security Service, SSS.
A security source familiar with the operation disclosed that the arrests were carried out in the Apapa area of Lagos at about 8:45 a.m.
The source confirmed that both men are currently in detention and undergoing interrogation.
Investigations revealed that the arrests followed intelligence reports indicating that the suspects had relocated from Nigeria’s conflict-hit North-east to Lagos.
Efforts to obtain official confirmation from the SSS were unsuccessful, as a representative of the agency’s media unit said the incident had not yet been formally communicated to them.
Since the redeployment of its former spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, the SSS has maintained a low-profile media approach, citing operational effectiveness as the reason.
As of the time of filing this report, the purpose of the suspects’ presence in Lagos remains unclear.
There is also no immediate evidence suggesting plans to carry out attacks in the commercial hub.
Nevertheless, security analysts have warned that ISWAP has been seeking to extend its activities beyond its traditional strongholds in the North-east.
