Nigeria’s security operatives have arrested seven suspected senior members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after they returned from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
The suspects were apprehended at Katsina Airport shortly after landing in Nigeria from Mecca, in what officials described as a major counter-terrorism breakthrough.
Authorities said the arrests were made possible through Nigeria’s newly upgraded digital identity verification and security intelligence system, which now connects key national databases with international security platforms.
The suspects were immediately taken into custody and transferred to the Department of State Services (DSS) for interrogation and further investigation.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the development on Friday shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026, into law at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
According to the minister, the arrests highlight the impact of the Federal Government’s ongoing reforms in identity management and national security coordination.
Tunji-Ojo said the country previously operated a weak and disconnected data system, making intelligence gathering and threat detection difficult across multiple agencies.
“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 explained that the integration of the National Identity Management Commission database with the Nigeria Immigration Service and global security platforms has significantly strengthened Nigeria’s ability to identify high-risk individuals entering the country.
Giving more details on the operation, the minister said, “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 development comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to strengthen national security, improve border surveillance, and curb the movement of terror-linked individuals across the country.
The newly signed NIMC Act, 2026, is expected to play a major role in these efforts. Government officials say the legislation is designed to eliminate long-standing gaps in Nigeria’s identity management system and improve cooperation among security agencies.
The law is also expected to strengthen the integrity of the National Identity Number (NIN), improve data sharing, and enhance the tracking of criminal activities including terrorism financing, identity fraud, cybercrime, and cross-border offences.
Top government officials present during the signing ceremony included Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General Lateef Fagbemi, and NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote.
Tunji-Ojo also noted that the reforms are already reshaping immigration and border control operations across the country.
He explained that the passport issuance process has become more secure, with tighter verification measures now in place to prevent identity manipulation and fraudulent applications.
Under the new framework, passport applications must now undergo real-time verification through the central NIMC database before approval.
