Tension heightened in Lagos on Sunday following the arrest of two suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) by security operatives, fuelling fresh concerns over the militant group’s alleged efforts to expand its operations beyond Nigeria’s North-east.
The suspects, identified as Modu Gana and Ibrahim Dugge, were apprehended by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in the Apapa area of Lagos, according to security sources quoted by Premium Times.
A security source with direct knowledge of the operation disclosed that the arrests were carried out at about 8:45 a.m., following what was described as actionable intelligence.
According to the source, the two men were believed to have fled the insurgency-ravaged North-east and relocated to Lagos under circumstances that raised security concerns.
The suspects have since been taken into custody and are currently undergoing interrogation by security operatives.
“The arrest was intelligence-led,” the source said, adding that investigations were ongoing to determine the suspects’ movements, contacts and possible intentions within Lagos State.
When contacted, officials of the DSS declined to confirm the arrests, explaining that the information had not been formally brought to their attention.
As of press time, the specific mission of the suspects in Lagos remained unclear. Security sources, however, said there was no immediate indication that the duo was planning an attack in the commercial capital.
Despite this, security analysts have warned that ISWAP has increasingly sought to widen its operational footprint beyond the North-east, presenting evolving and complex security challenges.
Nigeria’s insurgency crisis, driven largely by Boko Haram and its splinter faction, ISWAP, has persisted for more than 15 years. Internal divisions within Boko Haram led to major breakaways in 2012 and 2016, with violence initially concentrated in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states before gradually spreading to other parts of the country.
