Retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information and one of Nigeria\u2019s most prominent military spokespersons, has died while in the custody of bandits less than two weeks after he was abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State.<\/p>\n
The Katsina State Government confirmed the development on Saturday, describing the death of the retired senior military officer as a profound national tragedy and a major setback in ongoing efforts to combat kidnapping and banditry in the North-West.<\/p>\n
General Abubakar and his wife, Hajiya Amina Abubakar, were kidnapped on May 30 while travelling through the Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State. Reports indicated that the couple was ambushed near Zakin Baure village while travelling in a Peugeot 406. Their driver survived the attack despite sustaining gunshot wounds.<\/p>\n
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr Nasiru Mu\u2019azu, the state government said the retired general died from complications arising from diabetes and hypertension while being held by his captors.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe deceased retired general died a natural death from complications of diabetes and hypertension,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n
The government disclosed that extensive efforts involving state authorities and security agencies had been underway to secure the retired officer\u2019s release before the situation ended in tragedy. Officials said the prolonged captivity and eventual death of the former military chief represented a devastating loss not only to his family but also to Katsina State and Nigeria as a whole.<\/p>\n
Governor\u00a0Dikko Umaru Radda\u00a0expressed deep sorrow over the development, describing it as a dark moment for the state and a painful reminder of the growing insecurity confronting communities across the region.<\/p>\n
According to the governor, the incident underscores the urgent need for a stronger and more coordinated response against banditry, kidnapping and other forms of violent crime threatening lives and livelihoods in northern Nigeria. He extended condolences to the bereaved family and pledged that those responsible for the abduction would be brought to justice.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe assure the citizens of Katsina State that our resolve to eliminate banditry and ensure the safety of all residents remains unshaken,\u201d the government stated.<\/p>\n
Nigeria\u2019s Defence Headquarters also confirmed the retired officer\u2019s death, paying tribute to his military career and service to the nation. In a statement signed by Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, the Armed Forces of Nigeria described General Abubakar as an officer who served with distinction in several strategic appointments, including as spokesman for the military.<\/p>\n
The military disclosed that it had deliberately refrained from making public statements about the abduction while rescue efforts were ongoing, adding that multiple security agencies had worked behind the scenes in an attempt to secure his freedom.<\/p>\n
Defence Headquarters said the retired general made significant contributions to counter-insurgency operations, military professionalism and national unity during his years of service. It added that his death would strengthen the resolve of security forces to confront bandits, terrorists and other criminal groups operating across the country.<\/p>\n
Before news of the retired general\u2019s death emerged, the Katsina State Government had indicated that security operations were closing in on the kidnappers and expressed optimism that the couple would soon regain their freedom. Officials revealed that preliminary investigations suggested the abduction was not a random attack but a carefully coordinated operation.<\/p>\n
According to state authorities, evidence gathered by investigators indicated that the retired general and his wife may have been monitored and trailed from Kaduna, where they began their journey, before being intercepted along the Matazu axis of Katsina State.<\/p>\n
The revelation raised fresh concerns about the increasingly sophisticated tactics employed by armed criminal groups operating in parts of northern Nigeria.<\/p>\n
During their captivity, a video surfaced online showing General Abubakar and his wife appealing for intervention. The footage drew national attention and renewed debate over the worsening kidnapping crisis in the country. Reports also indicated that the kidnappers made various demands during the period of captivity, although authorities remained cautious about discussing ongoing negotiations publicly.<\/p>\n
The fate of Hajiya Amina Abubakar remained unclear as of the time of filing this report, with authorities yet to provide an official update on her condition or whereabouts.<\/p>\n
The death of General Abubakar is expected to intensify scrutiny of the country’s security challenges, particularly in the North-West where bandit groups continue to carry out kidnappings, attacks on communities and highway ambushes despite ongoing military operations.<\/p>\n
For many Nigerians, the loss of a retired major general who once helped communicate the military\u2019s fight against insurgency and insecurity highlights the far-reaching nature of the crisis. Security analysts say the incident demonstrates that no category of citizen is immune from the threat posed by armed criminal networks operating across the region.<\/p>\n
As tributes continue to pour in from military colleagues, government officials and members of the public, the nation mourns an officer whose career spanned decades of service and whose final days ended in the very insecurity he once worked to combat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information and one of Nigeria\u2019s most prominent military spokespersons, has died while in the custody of bandits less than two weeks after he was abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State. The Katsina State Government confirmed the development on Saturday, describing the death of the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":99135,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[1024,4053,688,8384,8028],"class_list":["post-99338","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-bandits","tag-dies","tag-katsina","tag-rabe","tag-radda"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99338","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=99338"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99338\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99339,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99338\/revisions\/99339"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/99135"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=99338"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=99338"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=99338"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}