‎How NIMC Database Helped Arrest Seven Boko Haram, ISWAP Commanders Returning From Hajj – Minister

• Seven suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders returning from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage were arrested at Katsina Airport after Nigeria’s integrated NIMC and immigration databases flagged them, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has revealed.

Nigeria’s integrated identity management system has led to the arrest of seven suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders who were returning from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, according to Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.

Speaking at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law, Tunji-Ojo revealed that the suspects were intercepted at Katsina Airport last Thursday and immediately handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS).

The minister said the arrests became possible due to the successful integration of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database with the Nigeria Immigration Service and its real-time connection to Interpol.

According to him, previous administrations operated a fragmented identity system that allowed security gaps, but ongoing reforms have significantly strengthened border security and intelligence gathering.

Tunji-Ojo noted that the newly signed NIMC Act would further improve Nigeria’s security architecture by accelerating the harmonisation of identity databases, strengthening the National Identity Number (NIN) system, and enhancing the country’s ability to tackle terrorism, identity theft, financial crimes, and other security threats.

President Tinubu signed the new law in the presence of top government officials, including Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu.