Tunji-Ojo: NIMC Database Helped Nab Suspected Terrorists

The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said that Nigeria’s integrated identity management system enabled security agencies to arrest seven suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commanders returning from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.

Speaking on Friday at the Presidential Villa after President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law, Tunji-Ojo said the suspects were apprehended at Katsina Airport last Thursday after arriving from Mecca and were subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS).

According to the minister, the arrests were made possible by integrating the NIMC database with the Nigeria Immigration Service’s records and establishing a real-time connection to Interpol.

Tunji-Ojo said previous concerns about terrorists travelling across Nigeria’s borders stemmed from weaknesses in the country’s fragmented identity management system, but noted that recent reforms had significantly strengthened security screening.

He explained that passport issuance, immigration records and national identity data are now linked, allowing security agencies to detect and intercept individuals flagged on domestic and international watchlists.

”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.

The minister said the newly signed NIMC Act would further strengthen Nigeria’s security framework by accelerating the harmonisation of identity databases and improving collaboration among government agencies.

He added that the legislation would enhance the integrity of the National Identity Number system while boosting the country’s capacity to combat terrorism, identity theft, financial crimes and other security threats.

Tunji-Ojo also noted that before the current administration, key identity systems, including passport issuance and driver’s licence registration, operated independently of the national identity database. He said passport applications are now verified through NIMC records as part of efforts to build a unified identity management system.

‎”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 Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 on Friday in the presence of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu and other senior government officials.