The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu, has arrived in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, 48 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed security agencies to rescue all Nigerians held captive by kidnappers and dismantle terrorist and bandit camps across the country.
Shaibu arrived in Maiduguri on Saturday, October 17, 2026, following a security meeting held at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday, October 15. The meeting, presided over by President Tinubu, brought together the country's military, intelligence and law enforcement chiefs to review the security situation and preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The Army Chief was among the senior security officials who attended Thursday's meeting. His arrival in Borno followed the President's directive for security agencies to intensify efforts to locate abducted persons and eliminate operational bases used by armed groups.
Speaking to State House correspondents after the meeting, the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), said the President had instructed security chiefs to pursue the rescue of kidnapped Nigerians wherever they were being held.
“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,” Musa said.
The Defence Minister further stated that Tinubu had directed security agencies to ensure that terrorist and bandit groups were not allowed to maintain operational camps anywhere in the country. He said the President expected the security leadership to take the necessary steps to implement the directive.
Thursday's meeting also addressed security arrangements for Nigeria's 2027 general elections, scheduled to begin with the presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16. Musa said the President emphasised the need for citizens to participate in the electoral process without intimidation or threats to their safety.
According to the minister, the security agencies were instructed to remain professional and politically neutral throughout the election period. He assured political parties that military and other security personnel would not favour any candidate or political organisation in the discharge of their duties.
Musa also discussed measures intended to strengthen the operational capacity of the armed forces, including recruitment, training and the acquisition of military equipment. He disclosed that the Federal Government had procured additional aircraft and helicopters, which President Tinubu was expected to commission.
The minister said the new equipment formed part of efforts to improve the ability of security agencies to respond to threats across the country. He also referred to improvements in military personnel welfare and ongoing consideration of similar measures for other security institutions.
Other officials who attended Thursday's meeting included the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu; Minister of Police Affairs, Ibrahim Gaidam; Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle; and Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Idi Abbas.
Also present were the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sunday Aneke; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Lieutenant General Emmanuel Undiandeye; Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu; Director-General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi; and Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency, Mohammed Mohammed.
Maiduguri serves as a major operational centre for Nigeria's counterterrorism campaign in the North-East, where troops under Operation Hadin Kai conduct military operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgents.
Shaibu previously served as Theatre Commander of Operation Hadin Kai before his appointment as Chief of Army Staff in October 2025. His return to Maiduguri therefore comes in a region where he previously held a senior operational command.
However, details of the Army Chief's programme during Saturday's visit, including any meetings with field commanders or planned inspections of military formations, had not been independently established at the time of reporting.
No specific military operation, rescue outcome or deployment arising directly from his arrival had been officially confirmed in the information available.
The President's October 15 directive remains a nationwide instruction to the country's security agencies, while the Army Chief's arrival in Maiduguri is the latest reported development involving the military leadership following that meeting.
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