The Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on Friday disclosed that Nigeria’s integrated identity management system led to the arrest of seven suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commanders returning from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.
Tunji-Ojo made the revelation at the Presidential Villa in Abuja shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law.
According to a statement issued by the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the minister said the suspects were apprehended last Thursday at Katsina Airport immediately after arriving from Mecca.
He explained that the seven suspects were subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS) for further investigation.
Tunji-Ojo attributed the successful operation to the integration of the National Identity Management Commission’s database with that of the Nigeria Immigration Service, as well as its connection to the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
“I know, sometime ago, the Senate President was alarmed by how some terrorists went on pilgrimage, wondering how they crossed our borders. We inherited a fractured system.
“But 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.
“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,” the minister said.
He noted that the newly signed NIMC Act 2026 would significantly strengthen Nigeria’s security framework by accelerating the harmonisation of identity databases and improving collaboration among government agencies.
According to him, the legislation will reinforce the integrity of the National Identity Number (NIN) system while enhancing the country’s ability to combat identity theft, terrorism, financial crimes and other security threats.
Tunji-Ojo said Nigeria’s identity management system was previously fragmented, making it difficult for agencies to effectively verify identities and share information.
He explained that before the current administration, critical services such as passport issuance and driver’s licence processing were not linked to the national identity database.
“When Mr President came on board, we had a disconnected system within our identity data management system. At that time, getting a passport and getting a driving permit were completely disconnected from our identity database.
“But today, you can’t get a Nigerian passport without pulling data from NIMC,” he stated.
President Bola Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 into law on Friday at the State House in Abuja.
The signing ceremony was attended by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Benjamin Kalu and other senior government officials.
The new law is expected to modernise Nigeria’s identity management system, improve digital identity verification, and strengthen national security through enhanced data integration across government institutions.
