By Emmanuel Thomas I Saturday, June 14.26
A RETIRED military general and former national defence spokesman has died in the clutches of ruthless bandits after spending weeks in a jungle captivity camp.
Major General Rabe Abubakar, who famously served as the public face of Nigeria’s military operations between 2015 and 2017, suffered fatal complications from diabetes and high blood pressure while being held hostage.
The top commander and his wife were snatched on May 30 after heavily armed gunmen opened fire on their car along a notorious highway axis in Katsina State, north-west Nigeria.
The couple had been travelling to a wedding when the gang struck. While their driver managed to escape into the bush despite suffering gunshot wounds, the General and his wife were dragged away into the dense forest.
The Katsina State Government officially confirmed the tragedy on Saturday, admitting that a high-stakes, frantic rescue operation by elite security forces had failed to save him.
State Commissioner for Internal Security, Dr Nasiru Mu’azu, said: “It is with profound sadness that we confirm the General’s death while in bandits’ captivity.
“Despite the relentless and concerted efforts of the State Government and various security agencies to secure his safe release, the situation ended in this tragedy.”
Officials insisted the General died a “natural death” brought on by the immense stress of his captivity aggravating his underlying health conditions.
Just days before his death, a harrowing video surfaced online showing the frail retired general and his wife pleading with the government to negotiate with their captors, who demanded the release of detained gang members.
While the General has tragically passed, his wife remains trapped in the hands of the armed syndicate.
Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umaru Radda, branded the incident a “dark moment” for the country and promised a fierce crackdown to hunt down the killers.
Governor Radda vowed: “Our resolve to eliminate banditry and ensure the safety of all residents remains unshaken. Those responsible for this heinous act will be brought to justice.”
Story Background & Context (For Editorial Use)
To provide UK readers with vital context on the crisis, the following background details explain the wider security landscape:
Abubakar was a high-profile military figure in West Africa. As Nigeria’s Director of Defence Information (2015–2017), he was the chief spokesperson coordinating media strategy during the height of Nigeria’s war against the jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram.
His abduction proves that even the highest-ranking military elite are no longer safe.
North-west Nigeria is currently plagued by heavily armed criminal syndicates locally referred to as “bandits.” Rather than being purely ideologically driven like Boko Haram or ISWAP (Islamic State West Africa Province), these gangs operate primarily as high-tech, brutal kidnapping-for-ransom networks.
The region has descended into severe lawlessness. Gangs frequently storm boarding schools, hijack commercial highways, and raid entire villages, killing residents and stealing livestock.
The Nigerian government has introduced strict laws banning the payment of ransoms in an attempt to dry up the gangs’ cash flows, but it has left families and hostages in incredibly dangerous deadlocks.
