Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, says seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were recently arrested at the Katsina airport while returning from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Saturday at the State House, Abuja, after President Bola Tinubu assented to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026.
According to the minister, the suspects were apprehended through Nigeria’s integrated identity management system and subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation.
He said the arrests demonstrated the effectiveness of ongoing reforms aimed at integrating the country’s identity management and border control systems.
“With this law, our security architecture can be enhanced. When Mr President came on board, we had a disconnected system within our identity data management system.
“At that time, getting a passport and getting a driving permit were completely disconnected from our identity database. But today, you can’t get a Nigerian passport without pulling data from NIMC.
“What you have in immigration is what you have in the NIMC database, and it has even helped our border control process.
“I am happy to tell you that even last week Thursday, seven of the known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP, at the point of coming back from Mecca, were arrested in Katsina at the airport and were handed over to the DSS,” he said.
The minister added that the integration of the National Identity Management Commission database with the Nigeria Immigration Service and the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) had enhanced the country’s ability to identify persons of security interest at the nation’s borders.
Tunji-Ojo described the newly signed NIMC Act as a major milestone that would strengthen Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem, improve access to government services and enhance national security.
Meanwhile, the Katsina State Government has dismissed allegations that it sponsored non-state actors to participate in the 2026 Hajj.
The allegation was made by Dr Bashir Kurfi during a programme aired on Trust TV.
In a statement, the Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasir Mu’azu, described the allegation as false, baseless and misleading.
“The allegation is entirely baseless, unfounded and devoid of any factual basis. It is a deliberate falsehood aimed at misleading the public and undermining the ongoing efforts of the government and security agencies in addressing security challenges across the state,” Mu’azu said.
He said the allegations came at a time security agencies, with the support of the state government, were making progress in tackling banditry and other criminal activities.
The commissioner alleged that the claims were intended to divert public attention from recent security gains and erode public confidence in the government’s efforts to restore peace in the state.
