Residents of Lagos have been thrown into anxiety following the arrest of two men suspected to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the state.
According to PREMIUM TIMES, 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 took place around 8:45 a.m. in the Apapa area of Lagos. The source confirmed that the suspects are currently in custody and are being interrogated.
Investigations revealed that the arrests were based on intelligence reports indicating that the suspects had recently relocated from Nigeria’s conflict-ridden Northeast region to Lagos.
Attempts to obtain official confirmation from the SSS were unsuccessful. A media unit official of the agency said the incident had not yet been formally reported to them. Since the redeployment of its former spokesperson, Peter Afunanya, the SSS has adopted a low-profile media strategy, which it says is aimed at enhancing operational effectiveness.
As of the time of filing this report, the reason for the suspects’ presence in Lagos remains unclear. There is also no immediate evidence suggesting that they were planning attacks in the commercial hub.
However, security analysts have warned that ISWAP has been making efforts to expand its operations beyond its traditional strongholds in the Northeast, raising concerns about potential security threats in other parts of the country.
