© The SUN/NI syndicationWoolwich attack suspect known to MI5
Michael Adebolaj, 28, had reportedly been looked at during probes into extremism in recent years - and was also known to hate preachers Anjem Choudary and Omar Bakri.
Tonight the soldier was named as Drummer Lee Rigby, 25, from the 2nd Battalion the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.
Meanwhile a man and woman, both 29, were today arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in relation to the terror attack.
School friends said Adebolajo changed his name to Mujaheed and was fixated with warped extreme Islamic ideals after being radicalised.
His worried devout Christian parents moved home to a Lincolnshire village to get him away from radicals.
Last night Muslim sources identified Adebolajo - who is claimed to be from a devout Christian family but converted to Islam in 2003 - as the man in The Sun's video taken minutes after the soldier was hacked to death.
Today Prime Minister David Cameron condemned Islamic terrorists declaring: "The people who did this were trying to divide us. They should know something like this will only bring us together and make us stronger."
The second attacker has not yet been identified - although police sources indicated that he too was British and of Nigerian descent.
The names of both men appeared in MI5 counter-terrorism operations - but neither were viewed as key figures.
At least one is understood to have tried to travel overseas to fight jihad in recent years.
Adeboloja, 28, was born in Lambeth, south London, in 1985 to a Christian family of Nigerian descent.
At the age of 15 or 16 he started getting involved in Islam and started to speak about Jihadi ideas.
He joined several extremist groups - including Al Muhajiroun - that were banned in Britain and in 2003 converted to Islam, calling himself Mujaheed while at Marshalls Park School.
Fearing he had become radicalised, his parents moved him away from Romford to a village in Lincolnshire.
A former friend told the Evening Standard that he was a Christian.
The friend said: "He started getting involved with Islam aged about 15 or 16, and that is why his parents moved him away out of the area.
"It is utterly shocking to see what he has done. It's unbelievable."
The security services, including MI5, were aware of him and his accomplice, who has not been named but is believed to be from Harold Hill, close to Romford.
Speaking outside Downing Street after chairing a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee today, the Prime Minister said the attack "sickens us all" and was a "betrayal of Islam".
He said: "This country will be absolutely resolute in its stand against violent extremism and terror. We will never give in to terror or terrorism in any of its forms.
"This view is shared by every community in our country. This was not just an attack on Britain and on the British way of life; it was also a betrayal of Islam and of the Muslim communities who give so much to our country.
"There is nothing in Islam that justifies this truly dreadful act."
Before leaving to visit Woolwich Mr Cameron said the best response was for everyone to "go about our normal lives".
Police revealed today that a property in Lincolnshire has been searched in connection with the murder.
A police spokeswoman said: "We can confirm that the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) executed a search warrant at an address in Lincolnshire. This is connected to the ongoing investigation into the murder of a man in Woolwich."
Five addresses in London and one in Lincoln are currently being searched.
Residents said officers warned the occupants to "get down on the floor".
Two women and two children were taken away by cops according to witnesses.
Speaking today, Choudary claimed to have known the killer. He said: "I saw the pictures of him last night, his name is Michael Adebolajo."
Choudary led Islamist group Al-Muhajiroun, the banned forerunner to Islam 4 UK, where Adebolajo often appeared alongside other radical protesters.
Mr Choudary continued: "He converted around 2003 to Islam, before I met him and I knew him as his convert name 'Mujaheed' when he used to attend our demonstrations and lectures.
"I last saw him in 2011, he was a very nice man with impeccable character and nothing unusual about him."
Footage shows Adebolaja with a second man holding a knife who also took part in the barbaric attack but Mr Choudary could not confirm his identity.
The details emerged as security chiefs and politicians met to discuss their response to the "barbaric" attack.
Arriving for a meeting of the Government's Cobra crisis committee, mayor of London Boris Johnson said it was wrong to link the murder with British foreign policy or the actions of Britain's armed forces overseas.
Mr Johnson said: "The fault lies wholly and exclusively in the warped and deluded mindset of the people who did it."
The mayor also urged Londoners to "go about their lives in the normal way".
Others attending the meeting included Sir John Sawers, head of security service MI6.
US President Barack Obama has just spoken out against yesterday's terror attack.
He said: "I condemn in the strongest terms the appalling attack against a British service member in Woolwich on May 22.
"The United States stands resolute with the United Kingdom, our ally and friend, against violent extremism and terror."
Security was tight this morning at the army barracks near the scene of yesterday's killing.
The Ministry of Defence said: "As a result of the incident in Woolwich, a number of additional security measures have been put in place. As you would expect, we would not talk about the details of these measures."
Troops in London were advised in the immediate aftermath of yesterday's attack not to wear their uniforms outside their bases
But at Cobra this morning, it was agreed that issuing orders against wearing military uniforms in public would not be the right response to the outrage
The PM was briefed by Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe on the murder investigation before chairing the meeting of Cobra at 10 Downing Street.
The Help for Heroes website has crashed because of the number of people trying to pay tribute and donate in honour of the murdered soldier.
Many people on Twitter are saying they will wear Help For Heroes t-shirts to work or hold fundraising events for the charity - to show solidarity with the victim's family.
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