Seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) have been arrested at the Katsina airport while returning to Nigeria from the Holy Pilgrimage in Mecca, in what the Federal Government has described as a major breakthrough made possible by the integration of the country’s national identity database with immigration and international security systems.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed the development on Friday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, shortly after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law.
According to the minister, the suspects were intercepted on Thursday and immediately handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS).
“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,” Tunji-Ojo said.
He explained that the arrests were made possible because Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database is now fully integrated with the immigration system and linked to Interpol’s global database, enabling real-time identity verification and border surveillance.
Tunji-Ojo recalled that Nigeria previously operated fragmented identity management systems, making it difficult for security agencies to effectively monitor the movement of suspected criminals and terrorists.
“When Mr. President came on board, we had a disconnected system within our identity data management architecture. Today, you cannot obtain a Nigerian passport without your records being verified through the NIMC database,” he said.
He described the signing of the NIMC Act 2026 as a landmark reform that would further strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture, improve border management, combat identity theft and financial crimes, and facilitate seamless access to government services.
President Tinubu assented to the new legislation during a ceremony attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu, Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Prince Lateef Fagbemi, the Director-General of NIMC, Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and representatives of the World Bank.
The new law replaces the 2007 NIMC Act with a modern legal framework designed to support Nigeria’s digital transformation by strengthening the National Identity Number (NIN) system and promoting interoperability among government databases.
Senate President Akpabio said the legislation reflects the National Assembly’s commitment to addressing Nigeria’s evolving security and development challenges, expressing confidence that it would boost public trust in the country’s identity management system.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu described the Act as a transformative reform that would improve governance, accountability and national development through a credible and inclusive digital identity ecosystem.
NIMC Director-General Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote said the law closes a 19-year gap in Nigeria’s identity management framework and establishes a modern legal foundation for trusted digital identity, seamless access to public and private sector services, and stronger identity verification nationwide.
