President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered a nationwide, no-holds-barred operation to rescue all kidnapped Nigerians and wipe out all terrorist and bandit enclaves, triggering the immediate deployment of the Chief of Army Staff to Borno State, the epicentre of the insurgency.
1. The Presidential Directive
The order was given during a high-level security meeting presided over by President Tinubu at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The details were disclosed to State House correspondents by the Minister of Defence, Gen. Christopher Musa (rtd), who said Tinubu charged heads of all security agencies to intensify operations.
The President issued two clear instructions:
“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,”
Musa added that Tinubu also directed the service chiefs to guarantee a safe environment for Nigerians to vote in elections scheduled for January, ahead of the 2027 general election. Other reports framed the directive explicitly as part of preparations to dismantle terrorist and bandit camps, rescue abducted Nigerians, and strengthen security ahead of the 2027 general election.
2. Army Chief's Swift Deployment to Borno
48 hours after the order, the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu — also reported as Shaibu in some dispatches — arrived in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Saturday.
Shuaibu arrived at about 11 a.m. at the headquarters of the Theatre Command, Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri. The move was described in multiple dailies as:
The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, arrived in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, on Saturday following President Bola Tinubu's directive to security agencies to rescue all abducted Nigerians.
Although it has yet to be officially established whether Shuaibu's visit is directly connected to the directive, sources indicate the Army Chief would meet with theatre, field and unit commanders across the state.
Borno remains a major theatre of military operations against Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents in the North-East. The visit is expected to provide operational briefings and engagements with commanders overseeing ongoing operations.
3. Borno Flashpoint: Why Borno First?
While the President's order covers the whole country, Borno has seen a spike in abductions in the past week:
Gwoza LGA Rescue: On October 15, troops of Operation Hadin Kai rescued two abducted persons, identified as Bello Ibrahim and Ibrahim Adamu, around the Kuranabasa axis in Gwoza LGA of Borno State.
Mussa Community Attack: On October 12, suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked Mussa C, a community in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, triggering panic. The community was previously reported as a site where school kids were kidnapped, highlighting the recurring target of schools and farming communities.
These incidents form part of a larger one-week nationwide tally where the military reported killing 11 terrorists, arresting 22, and rescuing 25 kidnapped victims.
4. Operation Hadin Kai and Nationwide Sweep
The Defence Headquarters has confirmed sustained operations under Operation Hadin Kai in Borno and Adamawa. The Presidential directive elevates that to a nationwide clearance operation — Tinubu has directed security agencies to rescue all abducted persons and eliminate terrorist and bandit camps across the country.
ThisDay and Punch reports note the COAS arrival came 48 hours after Tinubu directed security agencies to rescue all abducted persons and ensure that no terrorist or bandit camp remained anywhere in Nigeria.
5. Strategic Context: Beyond Kinetic Operations
At a parallel brainstorming session in Sokoto on Saturday, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu warned that military operations alone cannot end banditry.
Speaking through the Director of Legal Services in the ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, Ribadu said banditry had expanded beyond cattle rustling and kidnapping to include territorial control and illegal taxation, with cross-border dimensions from Niger Republic and the wider Sahel.
He listed five priority areas: denying armed groups safe havens, strengthening intelligence and early-warning systems, building community trust, protecting agriculture and rural livelihoods, and preventing youth recruitment. He stressed that “Success must also mean safer communities, returning families, productive farms, reopened schools, functioning markets.”
6. What Next?
Intensified ground and air clearance in Sambisa Forest, Mandara Mountains, and Lake Chad fringes where hostages are believed held.
Joint intelligence fusion between Army, DSS, Police and local vigilantes, as demanded by the Presidency and NSA.
Election security mapping — With Tinubu also tasking chiefs to ensure a safe environment for Nigerians to participate in elections scheduled for January, security agencies are expected to begin early deployment to vulnerable LGAs in Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Niger.
For residents in Borno, the arrival of the Army Chief at Maimalari is being read as a signal that the Federal Government is shifting from reactive rescue statements to forward command.
The Army is yet to release a formal operational plan for the rescue, but sources at Operation Hadin Kai say updated briefings will follow in the next 24 hours.
This is a developing story. Updates to follow from Theatre Command.
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