Nigeria’s integrated ID system flags seven terrorist commanders returning from Hajj, says Tunji-Ojo
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, has revealed that Nigeria’s integrated identity management system led to the arrest of seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as they returned from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.
Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, has revealed that Nigeria’s integrated identity management system led to the arrest of seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) as they returned from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.
Tunji-Ojo disclosed this on Friday at the Presidential Villa in Abuja shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law.
The announcement was contained in a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy.
According to the minister, the seven suspects were intercepted at the Katsina airport last Thursday immediately after arriving from the Saudi Arabian pilgrimage and were subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services for further investigation.
Tunji-Ojo attributed the arrests to recent reforms that have integrated the National Identity Management Commission database with the Nigeria Immigration Service database while linking both systems to INTERPOL’s global information network.
He explained that the integration has significantly strengthened Nigeria’s ability to identify persons of security interest at border entry and exit points.
“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”, the minister said.
He added that such arrests were only possible because the National Identity Number database is now fully connected with the immigration database and communicates continuously with INTERPOL through automated systems.
The minister said the newly signed NIMC Act 2026 would further reinforce Nigeria’s security architecture by deepening the harmonisation of identity databases across government agencies and improving intelligence sharing.
According to him, the legislation will strengthen the integrity of the National Identity Number system while enhancing the country’s capacity to combat terrorism, identity theft, financial crimes and other security threats.
Tunji-Ojo recalled that before the current administration, Nigeria operated fragmented identity management systems, with key government services functioning independently of the national identity database.
He noted that processes such as passport issuance and driver’s licence registration were previously disconnected from the National Identity Management Commission database, creating vulnerabilities within the country’s identity management framework.
“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 said.
Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 during a ceremony attended by Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate, Benjamin Kalu, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and other senior government officials.
