The Federal Government has disclosed that seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were arrested at Katsina Airport while returning from the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia, following enhanced integration of Nigeria’s identity management systems.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the revelation on Friday after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law at the State House in Abuja.
According to the minister, the arrests were made possible through the integration of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database with the Nigeria Immigration Service and international law enforcement platforms, including Interpol.
Tunji-Ojo described the new legislation as a significant step toward strengthening Nigeria’s identity management framework and improving national security through enhanced inter-agency collaboration.
He said the reforms have already begun producing tangible security results, citing the arrest of the suspected terrorist commanders at the point of entry into the country.
“We inherited a fractured system. But I’m happy to tell you that even last week, seven known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP, at the point of returning from Mecca, were arrested at Katsina Airport and handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS),” the minister said.
He explained that the country’s identity systems are now interconnected, enabling immigration authorities to verify identities in real time through the NIMC database while also interfacing continuously with Interpol’s global security network.
Tunji-Ojo noted that prior to the ongoing reforms, Nigeria’s identity management infrastructure operated in isolated silos, making effective identity verification and security screening more difficult.
He added that under the new system, applicants seeking Nigerian passports must first undergo verification through the National Identification Number (NIN) database, a move he said has significantly improved the integrity of the country’s identity management process.
President Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 as part of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s identity management architecture, strengthen national security, improve public service delivery and accelerate the country’s digital transformation.
The signing ceremony was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, House Leader Julius Ihonvbere, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi, World Bank representative Taimur Samad, and Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote.
