Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders returning from Hajj were nabbed at Katsina airport

Seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been arrested at the Katsina airport while returning from the Saudi Arabia pilgrimage, according to the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

Tunji-Ojo said the suspects were apprehended through Nigeria’s integrated identity management system and subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS).

The minister described the operation as evidence of the effectiveness of the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms in identity management and border security. He made the disclosure at the State House in Abuja after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the 2026 National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act into law.

According to Tunji-Ojo, the new legislation represents a major milestone that will strengthen Nigeria’s internal security framework while improving citizens’ access to government services. He said the Tinubu administration inherited a fragmented identity management system, with key government databases operating independently, but noted that major reforms have now integrated critical platforms.

“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 let me say this clearly, that it has even helped our border control process. I know, sometime ago, the Senate President was alarmed by how some terrorists went on pilgrimage, wondering how they crossed our borders. We inherited a fractured system.

“But 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. 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.

The minister’s comments come days after Dr. Bashir Kurfi, during a programme aired on Trust TV, alleged that the Katsina State Government sponsored some non-state actors to perform the Hajj pilgrimage.

The Katsina State Government denied the allegation, describing it as false and misleading. In a statement, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mua’zu, said the claims were without merit and were intended to undermine ongoing efforts to combat insecurity in the state.

“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,” the statement said.

The state government expressed concern that the allegations were being circulated at a time when security agencies, with the support of the state government, were recording significant successes against banditry and other criminal activities. It further alleged that the claims were aimed at diverting public attention from recent security gains and creating distrust among residents.

According to the statement, some individuals and groups were politicising security issues for personal and political interests, accusing them of being dissatisfied with the government’s refusal to support what it described as questionable schemes intended to divert public resources away from developmental projects.