Katsina State Government has declined to comment on reports of the arrest of suspected bandit leaders at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, Katsina, following their return from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage.
The development followed an earlier announcement by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, that seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, ISWAP, were arrested at the airport and handed over to the Department of State Services, DSS.
The minister said the arrests were made possible through Nigeria’s integrated digital identity and border management system, which links the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, immigration records and Interpol databases.
Reacting to the development, the Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Mu’azu Danmusa, said the matter falls within the jurisdiction of federal security agencies.
Speaking in an interview with BBC Hausa, Danmusa said the state government neither carried out nor authorised any arrest at the airport.
According to him, issues relating to border control, passenger screening and intelligence operations are the responsibility of federal authorities.
“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.
He advised journalists seeking further clarification on the matter to contact the Nigeria Immigration Service and the DSS.
The reported arrests have generated discussions in the state, particularly following allegations that some suspected bandits participated in the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage through the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board.
Political analyst Bashir Kurfi had earlier alleged that some suspected bandit leaders performed this year’s Hajj through arrangements facilitated in the state, a claim the government has repeatedly denied.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board, Yunusa Abdullahi Dankama, dismissed allegations that suspected bandits participated in the pilgrimage 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.
The identities of the suspects reportedly arrested at the airport have not been officially disclosed by security authorities.
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