SECURITY agencies have arrested two men suspected of being fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Lagos, raising renewed concerns about the expansion of terrorist networks beyond Nigeria’s conflict-ravaged north-east.
News Point Nigeria reports that the suspects, identified as Modu Gana and Ibrahim Dugge, were reportedly taken into custody on Sunday morning by operatives of the Department Of State Security (DSS) in the Apapa area of Lagos State.
According to security sources, the arrests were carried out at about 8:45am, after which the suspects were immediately taken in for interrogation. The circumstances leading to their arrest were not fully disclosed, but officials said the operation was intelligence-driven.
Security sources believe the two men may have travelled to Lagos after fleeing sustained military pressure in the north-east, where ISWAP and its rival faction, Boko Haram, have waged a deadly insurgency for over 15 years.
Although authorities have yet to disclose the purpose of the suspects’ presence in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, analysts have warned that extremist groups have increasingly sought to establish sleeper cells and logistical networks outside their traditional strongholds.
An official of the DSS declined to comment on the arrest, noting that the matter had not been formally cleared for public briefing by the agency’s media unit. The domestic intelligence service has significantly limited public disclosures in recent years, citing operational security considerations following the redeployment of its former spokesperson.
There was no immediate indication that the suspects were planning an attack, but security experts say their arrest underscores the evolving nature of Nigeria’s terrorism challenge and the need for heightened vigilance, particularly in major urban centres.
Nigeria’s insurgency, which began in 2009, has claimed tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions of people, with Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states bearing the brunt of the violence.
Boko Haram splintered into rival factions in 2012 and 2016, leading to the emergence of ISWAP, which later aligned itself with the global Islamic State network and became known for its more structured operations.
Despite sustained military offensives, the insurgency has remained resilient. However, authorities insist that significant progress has been made. In May, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, disclosed that Nigerian security forces had killed more than 13,500 Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters and secured the surrender of over 124,000 insurgents and their family members since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assumed office in 2023.
The arrest of the two suspected ISWAP operatives in Lagos highlights ongoing efforts by security agencies to disrupt terrorist movements and prevent the spread of extremist activities beyond Nigeria’s traditional conflict zones, as authorities intensify surveillance and intelligence operations nationwide.
