COAS visits Maiduguri amid parents’ plea over 78 abducted children

Arrival of the Chief of Army Staff On Saturday, 17 October 2026, Lieutenant‑General Waidi Shuaibu, the Chief of Army Staff, flew into Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, at approximately 11 a.m. He was received by senior officers of Operation Hadin Kai at Maimalari Cantonment before addressing troops on the base.

Parents of 78 abducted children The visit comes at a time when parents of 78 school children who were taken on 15 May 2026 from the Mussa and Lassa communities are demanding action. The children have been held captive for 155 days. The families had planned a protest in Abuja, threatening to occupy the streets outside the Presidential Villa until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu spoke to them directly. They postponed the march because of poverty, lack of transport fares and the need to provide food for other dependants.

Comparison with Oyo State abduction The same day the Borno children were abducted, teachers and pupils were taken in Oyo State. Those victims were rescued, a development that the Borno parents say left them feeling isolated. The Association of the Abducted Children’s Parents, led by Chairman Ishaku Suya, expressed disappointment that no senior security officer had visited the affected communities since the incident.

Government response Earlier that week, Borno Governor Babagana Zulum met privately with President Tinubu in Abuja to discuss the children’s fate. After the meeting, Zulum told journalists that the federal government remained committed to securing their release. President Tinubu subsequently ordered all heads of security agencies to launch nationwide rescue operations. On 15 October, Defence Minister Christopher Musa confirmed that the president had instructed that no terrorist or bandit camp should remain in Nigeria, while also ensuring a secure environment ahead of the forthcoming elections.

Expectations from the COAS visit The parents view the COAS’s arrival as a potential turning point. They are urging him to conduct a personal inspection of Mussa and Lassa, mirroring the military’s response after the Oyo abduction. Their appeal coincides with growing legislative interest and recent executive interventions aimed at addressing the crisis.

Current status At the time of writing, no rescue operation had yet succeeded in freeing the 78 children. The COAS’s presence in Maiduguri signals a heightened focus on the matter, but the outcome remains uncertain.