The Federal Government has announced the arrest of seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as they returned to Nigeria from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the development on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law.
According to the minister, the suspects were apprehended last Thursday at the Katsina Airport immediately after arriving from Mecca. He said they were subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation.
Tunji-Ojo attributed the successful operation to improved collaboration among security agencies and the strengthening of Nigeria’s identity management and border control systems. He noted that enhanced intelligence sharing and the integration of national databases have significantly improved the country’s ability to identify and intercept security threats.
The minister described the arrests as evidence that the government’s ongoing reforms in identity management and internal security are yielding positive results. He added that authorities remain committed to ensuring that individuals involved in terrorism and other criminal activities are identified and brought to justice.
Although the minister confirmed the arrests, he did not disclose the identities of the suspects, explain how they obtained travel clearance, or indicate whether formal charges had been filed against them.
The announcement came as President Tinubu assented to the NIMC Act 2026, legislation aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital identity framework, improving service delivery, and enhancing national security through better identity verification and inter-agency cooperation.
