Seven suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders arrested after returning from Hajj

Seven individuals suspected of commanding Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, were detained at Katsina Airport after arriving from the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The federal government called the arrests a major success, citing Nigeria’s integrated digital identity and security verification system.

Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji‑Ojo announced the development on Friday, shortly after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission Act of 2026 into law.

He said the suspects were identified and intercepted immediately upon arrival, using the integrated identity verification platform, before being transferred to the Department of State Services for further investigation.

Tunji‑Ojo explained that the arrests were enabled by linking the NIMC database with the Nigeria Immigration Service and international security networks such as Interpol.

“We inherited a fragmented identity management system where government databases operated independently. Today, our immigration database is fully integrated with NIMC and linked to Interpol’s 24‑hour security network.”

“It was through this integrated platform that seven known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP returning from Mecca were identified at Katsina Airport last Thursday, arrested and handed over to the DSS,” the minister said.

President Tinubu signed the NIMC Act of 2026 at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, surrounded by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Attorney‑General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, NIMC Director‑General Abisoye Coker‑Odusote, and other senior officials.

Tunji‑Ojo described the legislation as a major reform designed to harmonise Nigeria’s identity management systems, strengthen the integrity of the National Identity Number, and boost collaboration among security and intelligence agencies.

He added that the reforms would enhance Nigeria’s capacity to tackle terrorism, identity fraud, financial crimes, and other transnational offences.

The minister also said that the integration has streamlined passport applications, noting that no Nigerian passport can be issued without verification against the NIMC database.

He said the reforms have markedly strengthened border security and intelligence operations, giving agencies access to a unified identity system that can track high‑risk individuals across multiple government platforms.