“They Came Back From Hajj”: Seven Boko Haram, ISWAP Commanders arrested at Katsina Airport

Seven suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders were arrested at Katsina airport last Thursday while returning from pilgrimage in Mecca, the Federal Government has disclosed.

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the revelation on Friday, June 27, 2026, at the State House, Abuja, after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the 2026 National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Act into law, as reported by _News Express_.

—How the arrests happened–

Tunji-Ojo said the suspects were intercepted on arrival from Saudi Arabia and handed over to the Department of State Services, DSS.

“This is only possible because NIMC’s ID is already connected with the immigration database, and it’s already speaking to even the Interpol 24/7, and we have been able to automate this,” he said.

The minister recalled that security chiefs had previously raised concerns over how some terrorists crossed borders to perform pilgrimage.

He said the government inherited a “fractured” identity system, but reforms have now integrated key databases.

“You can’t get a Nigerian passport without pulling data from NIMC,” Tunji-Ojo added.

–New NIMC Act hailed as ‘landmark’–

Speaking after the signing, Tunji-Ojo described the 2026 NIMC Act as a landmark achievement that will enhance internal security and improve citizens’ access to services.

President Tinubu said the law marks a major milestone to modernise identity management, strengthen national security, improve public service delivery, and deepen the digital economy.

Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu both welcomed the law, saying it reflects a commitment to addressing Nigeria’s security and developmental challenges.

Kalu noted the 2007 Act had become obsolete.

NIMC Director-General, Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said the Act strengthens the National Identification Number as the country’s primary identity tool and provides a modern framework for Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem after 19 years. [With additional reports from The Nation]