The Federal Government has announced the arrest of seven suspected terrorists who were intercepted at the Katsina airport while returning from the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca.
Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo disclosed the development on Friday after President Bola Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 into law.
“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,” the minister said.
He explained that the operation was made possible through the integration of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database with the Nigeria Immigration Service system.
“This is only possible because NIMC’s ID is already connected with the immigration database, and it’s already speaking to even the Interpol 24/7, and we have been able to automate this,” Tunji-Ojo added.
The minister’s disclosure has raised fresh concerns over how individuals identified as terrorist commanders were able to undertake the Hajj pilgrimage. It also comes amid earlier allegations that the Katsina State Government sponsored some suspected terrorists for the exercise, an accusation the state government has denied.
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