The Federal Government says seven suspected commanders linked to Boko Haram and ISWAP were arrested at Katsina airport while returning from the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and have been handed over to the DSS.
The Federal Government has announced the arrest of seven suspected commanders of the Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorist groups at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport in Katsina while they were returning from the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The suspects have since been handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS).
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the development shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law. According to the minister, the arrests were made on Thursday as the suspects arrived in Katsina from the pilgrimage. He said the operation was made possible through Nigeria’s integrated identity management system.
Tunji-Ojo stated that the suspects were identified at the point of entry and immediately taken into custody before being transferred to the DSS for further investigation. He described the arrests as one of the significant security gains made possible through improved coordination among government agencies and the use of digital identity infrastructure.
The announcement came during the presentation of the newly signed NIMC Act 2026, which the Federal Government says is designed to strengthen identity management, improve public service delivery and enhance national security. The minister linked the arrests to the integration of national identity databases with security and immigration systems.
Speaking on the development, Tunji-Ojo said: “I’m happy to tell you that even last week, Thursday, seven of the known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP, at the point of coming back from Mecca, were arrested in Katsina at the airport and were handed over to the DSS.” He said the operation demonstrated the importance of strengthening Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem in supporting national security efforts.
As of Saturday, the seven suspects remained in the custody of the Department of State Services following their arrest at Katsina airport, while the Federal Government maintained that the operation reflected the growing role of integrated identity management in national security operations.