Seven suspected commanders linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been apprehended at the Katsina Airport following their return from the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
According to authorities, the successful interception was made possible through Nigeria’s newly integrated digital identity and security verification system.
Following their arrest, the seven individuals were promptly handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for deep interrogation and further investigation.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure on Friday shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026, into law at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
Tunji-Ojo explained that the operation underscored the operational power of linking the NIMC database directly with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) and international security networks, including Interpol.
Reflecting on the systemic shift that enabled the arrests, the minister said, “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.”
He further revealed the exact timeline and location of the operation, stating, “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 signing of the new NIMC Act, 2026, took place in a high-level gathering that included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, and the Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, among other top government officials.
Tunji-Ojo hailed the newly enacted legislation as a monumental reform package. The Act is specifically structured to eliminate data silos, strengthen the overall integrity of the National Identity Number (NIN), and mandate tighter collaboration among Nigeria’s various security and intelligence agencies.
The unified data system is expected to significantly bolster the country’s capabilities in tracking and neutralizing threats related to terrorism, identity fraud, complex financial crimes, and other cross-border transnational offences.
Beyond specialised counter-terrorism operations, the interior minister noted that the data integration reforms have radically altered everyday immigration and border security protocols.
Crucially, the system has altered the passport application pipeline. Tunji-Ojo emphasised that the loopholes previously exploited by criminals have been closed, as it is now impossible for any Nigerian passport to be processed or issued without real-time, rigorous identity verification passing directly through the central NIMC database.
By providing intelligence agencies with instant access to a singular, unified identity system, the government notes that its capability to track, monitor, and intercept high-risk individuals across multiple state platforms has been permanently enhanced.