{"id":99349,"date":"2026-06-15T18:15:13","date_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=99349"},"modified":"2026-06-15T18:15:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-15T18:15:13","slug":"our-father-was-not-diabetic-children-of-late-general-rabe-abubakar-challenge-official-story-as-family-awaits-answers-mother-remains-in-captivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/?p=99349","title":{"rendered":"\u201cOur Father Was Not Diabetic\u201d: Children of Late General Rabe Abubakar Challenge Official Story as Family Awaits Answers, Mother Remains in Captivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

The family of late retired Major General Rabe Abubakar has publicly challenged the official account of the circumstances surrounding his death in bandits\u2019 captivity, insisting that the former Director of Defence Information neither suffered from diabetes nor hypertension, contrary to claims made by the Katsina State Government.<\/p>\n

The disclosure by the late general\u2019s children has introduced a new dimension to the tragedy that has gripped the country since news emerged that the respected military officer died while being held by kidnappers after being abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State.<\/p>\n

While government officials and security authorities have maintained that the retired officer died from complications related to diabetes and hypertension while in captivity, his son, Isyaka Rabe, says the family does not accept that explanation.<\/p>\n

Speaking in an interview with Deutsche Welle (DW), Isyaka stated that his father had no known history of either illness and described reports attributing the death to diabetes as inaccurate.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur father was not diabetic,\u201d he said, rejecting the official narrative that has circulated since the announcement of the former army spokesman\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

According to Isyaka, there are widespread beliefs among family members and others close to the situation that the retired general may have died after suffering a snake bite while being held in the bush by his captors. The speculation, he said, arose from information contained in the last video reportedly released by the kidnappers. However, he acknowledged that only God knows the exact cause of death.<\/p>\n

His remarks echo an earlier public statement by one of the late general\u2019s daughters, Adda Abubakar, who also rejected claims that her father suffered from diabetes. In a post on her X account, she insisted that a snake bite, rather than an underlying medical condition, was responsible for his death.<\/p>\n

The conflicting accounts have left unanswered questions surrounding the final days of a man who spent more than three decades serving Nigeria in various military capacities and later rose to become Director of Defence Information.<\/p>\n

Beyond disputing the reported cause of death, the family says it remains uncertain about how the late general\u2019s remains were recovered.<\/p>\n

According to Isyaka, even after announcing funeral arrangements, he found himself unable to answer questions from mourners seeking details about how the body was retrieved from the kidnappers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I announced the time for my father\u2019s funeral prayer, many people began asking how the body was recovered. I told them I did not know and that they should direct such questions to the government,\u201d he reportedly said.<\/p>\n

The comments highlight the information gap that continues to surround the incident despite widespread public attention and intense interest in the circumstances of the retired officer\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur Mother Is Still in Captivity\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n

Perhaps the most troubling revelation from the family concerns the fate of Hajiya Amina Abubakar, who was abducted alongside her husband on May 30.<\/p>\n

As rumours circulated online suggesting she had regained freedom, Isyaka firmly dismissed the reports as false, stressing that the family had received no indication that she had been released.<\/p>\n

\u201cTake it from me, our mother is still in captivity. She has not been released,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

His statement directly contradicts social media claims that the widow of the late general had regained her freedom and underscores the continuing ordeal facing the family.<\/p>\n

The continued captivity of Hajiya Amina has deepened concerns among relatives and well-wishers who are still mourning the retired officer while simultaneously hoping for her safe return.<\/p>\n

A Hero Remembered<\/em><\/p>\n

Despite the pain and uncertainty surrounding his death, Isyaka described his father as a deeply religious, humble and peace-loving man whose life was defined by service to God and country.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe died a hero,\u201d the grieving son said, reflecting the sentiment shared by many former colleagues and associates who have paid tribute to the retired general since news of his death broke.<\/p>\n

Major General Abubakar served in several strategic military roles during a distinguished career and became one of the most recognisable military spokespersons in Nigeria during his tenure as Director of Defence Information.<\/p>\n

Defence Headquarters Delegation Visits Family<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"
Isyaka, with visiting military chiefs.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As the controversy over the cause of death continued, a high-powered delegation from Defence Headquarters arrived in Katsina on Sunday to formally condole with the family.<\/p>\n

The delegation, led by the Chief of Administration (Army), Major General IM Abdullahi, conveyed the condolences of the Chief of Defence Staff, General OO Oluyede, and the Armed Forces of Nigeria.<\/p>\n

At the family residence, Major General Abdullahi described the deceased officer as a patriotic and dedicated soldier who contributed significantly to national security and the development of the Nigerian Army.<\/p>\n

He assured relatives that security agencies would continue efforts to bring those responsible for the general\u2019s death to justice and pledged the military\u2019s support to the bereaved family.<\/p>\n

\u201cMajor General Abubakar served the Nigerian Army and the nation meritoriously for over three decades. His years of dedicated service and sacrifice will not be forgotten,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

The military delegation also presented a National Flag to the family in recognition of the late officer\u2019s service and sacrifice to the nation.<\/p>\n

Katsina Government Mourns<\/p>\n

Before the family’s objections emerged, the Katsina State Government had announced that the retired general died from complications arising from diabetes and hypertension while in captivity. The government described the incident as a major loss to the state and the nation, while expressing condolences to the family.<\/p>\n

Governor Dikko Umaru Radda’s administration said security agencies had made extensive efforts to secure the general\u2019s release before the situation ended in tragedy.<\/p>\n

A Nation Awaits Answers<\/p>\n

The death of Major General Rabe Abubakar has become more than a story of insecurity and kidnapping. It is now also a story of unanswered questions.<\/p>\n

While officials maintain that illness claimed the retired officer\u2019s life, his children insist their father was not diabetic and challenge the explanation provided by authorities.<\/p>\n

With his widow still reportedly in captivity and uncertainty persisting over the circumstances of his death and the recovery of his remains, the family continues to seek clarity.<\/p>\n

For now, amid grief, controversy and lingering uncertainty, one message from the children of the late general stands out: they want the public to know that, in their view, the official account does not tell the full story.<\/p>\n

As the nation mourns one of its retired senior military officers, the search for definitive answers appears far from over.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The family of late retired Major General Rabe Abubakar has publicly challenged the official account of the circumstances surrounding his death in bandits\u2019 captivity, insisting that the former Director of Defence Information neither suffered from diabetes nor hypertension, contrary to claims made by the Katsina State Government. The disclosure by the late general\u2019s children has […]<\/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":[8442,991,4173,1976,8441,4234],"class_list":["post-99349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-news","tag-adda","tag-chiefs","tag-diabetes","tag-father","tag-isyaka","tag-snake"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99349","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=99349"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99349\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":99351,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/99349\/revisions\/99351"}],"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=99349"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=99349"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/everyday.ng\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=99349"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}