Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said that seven alleged Boko Haram and ISWAP commanders were recently detained through Nigeria’s integrated identity management system when they returned from pilgrimage.
The minister said the suspects were intercepted at the Katsina airport last Thursday on their arrival from Mecca and were later handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS), describing the operation as an evidence of the effectiveness of the government’s ongoing reforms in identity management and border security.
He said this yesterday at the State House, Abuja, after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu assented to the 2026 National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act,
President Tinubu signed the bill into law in the presence of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu; House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere; Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi; the World Bank’s representative, Taimur Samad; and Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote.
The new law is a major milestone in Nigeria’s efforts to modernise identity management, strengthen national security, improve public service delivery and deepen the country’s digital economy, said the statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
Tunji-Ojo, who spoke after the signing ceremony, praised the legislation as a significant achievement that will further boost internal security and strengthen citizens’ access to government services.
The Tinubu administration inherited a fragmented identity management system where important databases ran separately, but changes had now consolidated key government systems, he added.
This law can help us to improve our security architecture. When Mr. President came on board, we had a broken system in our identity data management system. Getting a passport, getting a driving permit, totally separated from our identity database at that time. “But today, you can’t get a Nigerian passport without pulling data from NIMC,” the minister stated.
The harmonisation of identification databases had “massively improved border control and intelligence operations”, he said.
“What you have in immigration is what you have in the NIMC database, and let me put this clearly, that it has even assisted our border control process. I remember that some time ago, the Senate President was disturbed by the way certain terrorists went on pilgrimage and asked how they crossed our borders. We got a busted system.
“But I am happy to inform you that even last week, on Thursday, seven of the known commanders of Boko Haram and ISWAP were arrested in Katsina at the airport when they were coming back from Mecca and handed over to the DSS.
He said this was only feasible since NIMC’s ID was already linked to the immigration database already chatting to even the Interpol 24/7 and they had been able to automate this.
According to the minister, the new Act would accelerate the harmonisation of identity databases, improve the integrity of the National Identity Number (NIN) system, strengthen inter-agency collaboration and boost Nigeria’s capacity to combat identity theft, terrorism, financial crimes and other security threats.
The Senate President, Akpabio, commended the presidential assent, stating that the bill was a manifestation of the National Assembly’s resolve to adopt laws that address the changing security and developmental concerns of the country.
He said the bill will promote public confidence in the country’s identity management infrastructure and is consistent with President Tinubu’s reform program and his vow to change Nigeria.
Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu also praised the bill as a transformative reform that will strengthen government, enhance accountability and assist national development through a genuine identity management system.
He said the 2007 NIMC Act had grown outmoded and needed urgent modification to meet current circumstances
“Today is a historic milestone in Nigeria’s journey of digital transformation. “It is the bold commitment of the Federal Government to build a strong, trusted and inclusive identity ecosystem”, Kalu stated.
The Director-General of NIMC, Dr. Coker-Odusote, gave the assurance that the Commission would engage with relevant government agencies, development partners and the business sector to fully execute the terms of the new law.
The legislation was a big boost to the mandate of the commission, she said, noting that it provides a modern legal framework for Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem after 19 years under an obsolete statute.
The Act, she said, strengthens the National Identification Number (NIN) as Nigeria’s primary instrument for identity verification and introduces innovations for the facilitation of secure digital identity, easy access to services in the government and private sector, and Nigeria’s larger digital transformation agenda.
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