- Seven Boko Haram, ISWAP Commanders Arrested at Katsina Airport After Hajj – Tunji-Ojo
- Says NIMC, Immigration, Interpol Collaboration Leads to Arrest
- Tunji-Ojo said the suspects had been airlifted to Abuja and remain in the custody of the State Security Service
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has disclosed that seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province were arrested at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport after returning from the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Tunji-Ojo made the disclosure on Friday shortly after Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law.
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According to the minister, the arrests were made possible through an integrated security platform linking the databases of the National Identity Management Commission, the Nigeria Immigration Service and INTERPOL.
Responding to concerns over how suspected terrorists previously moved across Nigeria’s borders, Tunji-Ojo said the current administration inherited a fragmented security system but has since integrated critical national databases.
He revealed that the seven suspects were intercepted while returning to Nigeria through Katsina airport and were immediately handed over to the State Security Service.
The minister added that the Federal Government has also completed an Integrated Operations Centre to strengthen internal security and coordinate surveillance across the country’s air and maritime borders.
According to him, the newly established facility now monitors border operations in real time, making it possible to identify and intercept high-risk individuals using intelligence shared between Nigerian security agencies and INTERPOL.
Tunji-Ojo said the suspects had been airlifted to Abuja and remain in the custody of the State Security Service for further investigation.
The minister noted that the development demonstrates the effectiveness of the government’s ongoing reforms in digital identity management and border security following the enactment of the new NIMC Act.
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