How We Nabbed Seven Boko Haram, ISWAP Leaders Returning From 2026 Hajj – FG

The Federal Government has announced the arrest of seven suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province commanders who were intercepted at the Katsina airport after returning from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

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Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed that the operation was made possible through Nigeria's newly integrated identity management system, adding that the suspects were immediately transferred to the Department of State Services for further investigation.

The minister spoke on Saturday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 into law. 

He said the legislation would strengthen national security by improving coordination among government databases.

Tunji-Ojo explained that before the current reforms, the country's identity management framework was fragmented, making it difficult for security agencies to effectively monitor the movement of persons across the nation's borders. He noted that the integration of key databases has significantly improved intelligence gathering.

He said, "Today, every Nigerian passport application is linked directly to the NIMC database. Immigration records now align with our national identity system, making it easier to detect persons of security interest."

The minister added, "Just last Thursday, seven identified Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders were apprehended at the Katsina airport while returning from Mecca. They were handed over to the DSS. That success was possible because our identity database now communicates with immigration records and is integrated with Interpol's network."

The disclosure follows recent allegations by security analyst Dr. Bashir Kurfi that the Katsina State Government sponsored some non-state actors for the pilgrimage. The state government rejected the claim, describing it as false and misleading.

In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mua'zu, the government insisted the allegation had no factual basis, arguing that it was intended to discredit ongoing security operations and divert attention from the progress being recorded against banditry and other criminal activities across the state.