Katsina State Government is staying silent on reports that suspected bandit commanders were arrested at the airport after returning from this year's Hajj pilgrimage.
Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo had announced the arrests earlier. He said seven suspected leaders of Boko Haram and ISWAP were caught at Umaru Musa Yar'Adua International Airport and handed to the DSS.
Tunji-Ojo credited Nigeria's digital identity system for the operation. It connects records from NIMC, immigration data, and Interpol databases.
Katsina's Commissioner for Internal Security, Nasiru Mu'azu Danmusa, pushed back hard on the reports. He told BBC Hausa the state government had nothing to do with any airport arrests.
"These matters belong to federal agencies," Danmusa said in the interview. Border control and passenger screening are entirely federal responsibilities, he insisted.
According to him, the state can neither confirm nor deny what happened. Journalists wanting answers should contact the Nigeria Immigration Service and DSS directly, he advised.
Allegations have swirled that some bandit leaders performed Hajj through Katsina's Pilgrims Welfare Board. Political analyst Bashir Kurfi made this claim earlier in the year.
Katsina officials have repeatedly denied these allegations. Now the reported arrests have reignited the controversy in the state.
Yunusa Abdullahi Dankama heads the Katsina State Pilgrims Welfare Board. He flatly rejected suggestions that any suspected bandits participated in the pilgrimage through his organization.
"I have no knowledge of any bandits doing Hajj with us," Dankama stated. He also said he's unaware of arrests connected to the pilgrimage program.
Security authorities have not released the names of those arrested. Official details about their identities remain undisclosed.
What started as an intelligence operation has become a political flashpoint. The timing — with suspects allegedly returning from Hajj — has fueled public debate.
For now, federal agencies control the narrative on what transpired. State officials are clearly keeping their distance from the entire matter.
