FG Arrests Seven Suspected Boko Haram, ISWAP Commanders Returning from Hajj

The Federal Government has confirmed the arrest of seven individuals suspected to be senior members of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) after they arrived in Nigeria from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, revealed the development on Friday shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act, 2026, into law at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to the minister, the suspects were identified immediately upon their arrival at Katsina Airport through Nigeria's newly integrated identity verification system. Following their identification, they were taken into custody and handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation.

Tunji-Ojo explained that the successful operation was made possible through the integration of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database with the Nigeria Immigration Service and international security platforms, including Interpol.

He noted that previous administrations operated separate government databases with limited communication between agencies, making security checks less effective. However, the current integrated platform now enables security agencies to instantly verify identities and detect persons of security interest at the nation's borders.

The minister stated that the seven suspects, believed to be commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP, were intercepted shortly after returning from Mecca, demonstrating the effectiveness of the upgraded identity management system.

President Tinubu signed the NIMC Act, 2026, during a ceremony attended by top government officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General of the Federation Lateef Fagbemi, and NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote.

Tunji-Ojo described the new legislation as a significant milestone in Nigeria's efforts to modernize identity management and improve cooperation among security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies.

He said the strengthened system is expected to play a vital role in tackling terrorism, identity theft, financial crimes and other cross-border criminal activities.

The minister also disclosed that the reforms have enhanced the integrity of Nigeria's passport issuance process by ensuring that every applicant undergoes proper identity verification through the NIMC database before a passport can be issued.

According to him, the unified identity management platform has significantly improved border security and intelligence gathering, giving authorities the ability to identify and track high-risk individuals more effectively across multiple government databases.