Katsina Govt Declines Comment on Reported Arrest of Suspected Bandits Returning from Hajj

The Katsina State Government has declined to comment on reports alleging that suspected bandit leaders were arrested at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, Katsina, after returning from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.

The reports followed an earlier announcement by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who disclosed that seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) were arrested at the airport and subsequently handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS).

According to the minister, the arrests were made possible through Nigeria’s integrated digital identity and border management system, which links data from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), immigration records and Interpol databases to enhance security screening at the nation’s borders.

Reacting to the development, the Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Mu’azu Danmusa, said the state government was neither involved in nor authorised the reported operation.

Speaking during an interview with BBC Hausa, Danmusa explained that matters relating to border control, passenger screening and intelligence operations are the exclusive responsibility of federal security agencies.

“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,” he said.

The commissioner advised journalists and members of the public seeking clarification on the matter to direct their enquiries to the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Department of State Services.

The reported arrests have generated widespread reactions in Katsina State, particularly after allegations surfaced that some suspected bandit leaders participated in the 2026 Hajj through arrangements allegedly facilitated by the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board.

Political analyst Bashir Kurfi had earlier claimed that some suspected bandits travelled for the pilgrimage through the board, an allegation the state government has consistently denied.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Yunusa Abdullahi Dankama, dismissed claims that suspected bandits were among the pilgrims sponsored through the board.

“I am not aware of any bandits who performed this year’s Hajj through the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board. I am also not aware of any arrests linked to the pilgrimage,” he said.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the Department of State Services nor the Nigeria Immigration Service had officially released the identities of the suspects reportedly arrested at the airport.

The development has nonetheless sparked public debate over the effectiveness of security screening for international pilgrims and the growing use of digital intelligence systems in tracking individuals suspected of involvement in terrorism and other criminal activities.