The Federal Government has announced the arrest of seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) at Katsina Airport after they returned from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the development on Saturday shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 into law.
According to the minister, the suspects were apprehended last Thursday immediately after arriving in Nigeria and were subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation.
“I am pleased to say that last Thursday, seven known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP were arrested at Katsina Airport while returning from Mecca and were handed over to the DSS,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that the arrests were made possible through the integration of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database with the Nigeria Immigration Service’s records and international security platforms, including Interpol.
Tunji-Ojo stated that the integrated system enables immigration authorities to identify persons of security interest through real-time data sharing, significantly strengthening border security and identity verification.
“This is only possible because the NIMC identity database is now connected to the immigration database and linked to Interpol around the clock. We have automated the process,” he said.
The minister noted that the technology allows security agencies to detect individuals flagged for security concerns before they gain entry into the country.
The announcement comes amid public interest over how the suspects were able to travel to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage before being arrested upon their return.
It also follows recent allegations that the Katsina State Government sponsored Hajj for some suspected terrorists, claims that the state government has strongly denied.
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Government has not disclosed how the suspects obtained travel clearance to Saudi Arabia or whether additional arrests and investigations are underway.
