Army chief arrives in Borno after Tinubu orders rescue of abductees

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, arrived in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Saturday as the military steps up efforts to rescue Nigerians held captive across the country.

Shuaibu arrived at the headquarters of the Northeast Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, at Maimalari Cantonment at about 11 am on October 17, 2026.

His visit comes days after President Bola Tinubu directed security agencies to intensify operations and ensure the safe return of all abducted persons in the country.

The Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa, disclosed the presidential directive on October 15 after a security meeting chaired by the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

According to Musa, the President instructed security chiefs to take decisive action against terrorists and bandits, including dismantling their camps across the country.

“The directive from the President is: all of us must go all out to fish out and rescue all those that have been abducted, kidnapped, wherever they are.

“There shouldn’t be any camp of any terrorists or bandits anywhere in Nigeria,” he said.

Tinubu also directed service chiefs and other heads of security agencies to ensure adequate security during the elections scheduled for January, stressing the need to protect voters and create a safe environment for the exercise.

The latest development comes amid continuing security challenges in parts of northern Nigeria, particularly the North-East, where military operations have been ongoing against insurgent groups.