KATSINA — Confusion is mounting in northern Nigeria over the exact identities of seven suspected militants arrested at a regional airport immediately after returning from the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
The Katsina State Government has refused to comment on the high-profile operation at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, stating that the matter falls entirely under federal jurisdiction.
The security row began after Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced that seven high-ranking commanders from Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) had been intercepted at the terminal and handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS), the country’s secret police.
According to the minister, the automated arrests were a triumph for Nigeria’s newly upgraded digital border management system, which links national identity databases directly with immigration records and Interpol.
However, federal officials have refused to release the names of the suspects or explain how blacklisted militants managed to secure visas, clearances, and passports to travel to Mecca in the first place.
Bandits or jihadists?
Local security sources have further complicated the narrative. An immigration official told reporters that those arrested were actually notorious leaders of regional bandit gangs—which have terrorised northwest Nigeria through mass kidnappings—rather than Islamist jihadists. The source added that several citizens from the neighbouring Niger Republic were also among those detained.
The dynamic has ignited a fierce political storm in Katsina State amid persistent allegations that some of the armed warlords performed the pilgrimage through official state-sponsored channels.
Political analyst Dr Bashir Kurfi claimed on television that notorious bandit kingpins had their trips facilitated by local welfare boards, raising serious questions about the state’s vetting processes.
“What we are seeing is disturbing,” Dr Kurfi said. “Many bandits were allegedly sponsored and went to Hajj. This raises serious questions about the screening process.”
State government denies involvement
The Katsina State Government has vehemently denied sponsoring any criminals.
Speaking to BBC Hausa, the state’s Commissioner for Internal Security, Nasiru Mu’azu Danmusa, distanced the local administration from the airport operation.
“These are security and administrative matters handled by federal agencies. The state government is not in a position to confirm or deny the reported arrests,” Mr Danmusa said, directing further inquiries to the immigration service and the DSS.
Similarly, the head of the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Yunusa Abdullahi Dankama, dismissed claims of systemic lapses, stating he was entirely unaware of any bandits registering for the pilgrimage or being arrested upon their return.
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