Nigeria arrests seven Boko Haram, ISWAP commanders returning from Hajj Where They Offered Prayers— Minister
The Federal Government has announced the arrest of seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as they returned from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage through the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina State.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the development on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law.
According to the minister, the suspects were intercepted at the Katsina airport on Thursday last week and immediately handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation.
“I’m 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,” Tunji-Ojo said.
The minister, however, did not disclose the identities of the suspects or indicate whether they had been on security watchlists before travelling to Saudi Arabia. He also did not reveal how they obtained travel clearance or whether they have been formally charged.
The Department of State Services and the Nigeria Immigration Service had yet to independently confirm the arrests as of the time of the announcement.
Arrest made possible through technology
Tunji-Ojo attributed the successful operation to improvements in Nigeria’s integrated digital identity and border management systems, noting that the National Identity Management Commission’s biometric database is now linked to immigration records and international security platforms, including Interpol.
“This is only possible because NIMC’s ID is already connected with the immigration database, and it’s already speaking to even the Interpol 24/7, and we have been able to automate this,” he said.
According to him, the Tinubu administration inherited fragmented identity management systems that limited information sharing among government agencies.
He explained that the integration of identity databases now makes it impossible for anyone to obtain a Nigerian passport without verification through the National Identity Management Commission, significantly improving coordination among security agencies and strengthening border surveillance.
Tinubu signs new NIMC Act
President Tinubu on Friday assented to the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026, repealing the 2007 law and introducing a new legal framework for Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.
Government officials said the legislation strengthens the National Identification Number system and expands NIMC’s role in secure digital identity management.
Under the new law, NIMC becomes Nigeria’s Root Certification Authority for the National Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure, providing the legal basis for secure electronic authentication and trusted data exchange across government institutions and authorised private-sector platforms.
Officials said the reforms are expected to improve identity verification, reduce identity fraud, strengthen border management and enhance collaboration among security agencies.
The signing ceremony was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote and other senior government officials.
Fresh concerns over Hajj screening
The minister’s disclosure has raised fresh concerns about how suspected terrorist commanders were able to undertake the pilgrimage and what level of security screening they underwent before departing Nigeria.
The announcement also comes amid recent allegations that the Katsina State Government sponsored Hajj pilgrimages for some bandit leaders.
The state government has denied the claims, describing them as false, baseless and politically motivated, insisting there was no evidence that it sponsored any person involved in banditry or other criminal activities for the pilgrimage.
Tunji-Ojo did not suggest that the seven suspects were among government-sponsored pilgrims or link their arrests to the allegations against the Katsina State Government.
Security experts have long advocated stronger integration of national identity, immigration and intelligence databases to improve the detection of wanted persons attempting to travel across Nigeria’s borders.
The latest arrests represent one of the clearest public demonstrations by the Federal Government of how integrated digital identity systems are being deployed to strengthen counterterrorism operations and border security.
Authorities are expected to provide further details on the identities of the suspects and any criminal charges against them as investigations continue.
Source: Premium Times