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The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has revealed that seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were arrested at Katsina Airport while returning from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, following successful identification through Nigeria's integrated identity management system.
Tunji-Ojo said the suspects were intercepted on arrival from Mecca last Thursday and immediately handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS). He described the operation as a major breakthrough made possible by the Federal Government's reforms in identity management and border security.
The minister disclosed this at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after President Bola Tinubu signed the 2026 National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act into law. He said the legislation would strengthen national security by deepening the integration of government identity databases and improving intelligence gathering.
According to Tunji-Ojo, the Tinubu administration inherited a fragmented identity management system in which agencies such as the Nigeria Immigration Service and NIMC operated independently. He explained that the integration of these databases now enables authorities to detect wanted persons through real-time identity verification linked to international security platforms, including Interpol.
He noted that the harmonised system has improved border control and made it impossible for individuals to obtain key government documents, including passports, without verification through the National Identity Number (NIN) database. He added that the new law would further enhance efforts to combat terrorism, identity theft, financial crimes and other security threats.
President Tinubu described the new NIMC Act as a significant milestone in Nigeria's digital transformation and security architecture. Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and NIMC Director-General Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote also hailed the legislation, saying it provides a modern legal framework to strengthen identity management, improve governance and expand access to public and private sector services.
