Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
A former Director of Defence Information who once stood before cameras to report Nigeria's military victories has himself fallen victim to the very insecurity he helped to document. Retired Major General Rabe Abubakar died in the hands of bandits on Saturday, June 13, 2026, two weeks after he and his wife were snatched from a highway in Katsina State, authorities confirmed. In a rare gesture, the abductors released his body alongside his widow, Hajiya Amina Abubakar, as the family buried the 61‑year‑old father and husband in accordance with Islamic rites later that evening.
The Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasiru Mu'azu Danmusa, announced the death in an official statement on Saturday. "It is with profound sadness that we confirm the General's death while in bandits' captivity," the statement read, confirming that the retired military officer died from complications arising from diabetes and hypertension while being held by his abductors.
General Abubakar, who served as Director of Defence Information at the Defence Headquarters between 2015 and 2017, was abducted alongside his wife on Saturday, May 30, 2026, while travelling to a wedding along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli Road in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State. Their vehicle was ambushed near Zakin Baure village, and their driver reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds. Days after the abduction, the bandits released a video showing the couple in captivity. In the footage, Hajiya Amina appealed to the Katsina State Government and local government authorities to accede to the demands of their captors. She said: “We are begging all those concerned to help us heed these demands so we can be released. Two of the boys were captured in Jikamshi and the other one was arrested separately, so we are appealing to the government to please adhere to their demands, release them and release their cows.”
The couple's driver, who sustained gunshot injuries during the attack, escaped while the general's wife remained with her husband in captivity. According to the state government, the abductors' demands included the release of three detained associates identified as Aminu, Sani and Nasiru, as well as the return of livestock allegedly seized from them.
The Defence Headquarters issued a statement on Saturday expressing sorrow over the death of the former Director of Defence Information. The military said it had deliberately withheld public comment on the abduction to avoid jeopardising ongoing rescue efforts. "In deference to ongoing rescue efforts by security agencies, the Armed Forces withheld public comment while every operational resource was deployed in the hope of securing his safe return," the statement said. The military described Abubakar as a committed officer who contributed immensely to counter‑insurgency operations in the country, and said his commitment to duty and the unity of Nigeria would remain a shining example for all personnel of the Armed Forces of Nigeria.
President Bola Tinubu expressed shock and sorrow over the retired general's death. In a statement by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President commiserated with Abubakar's family, especially his wife, and extended his condolences to the Katsina State Government and the Armed Forces. According to the statement, President Tinubu declared that the government would never negotiate with armed groups on any terms, and that those responsible for the death would face the full force of the state.
Governor Dikko Umaru Radda of Katsina State, in his response, described the incident as a "dark moment" for the state and the nation, offering condolences to the family of the late general. The governor said the death was a significant blow given the general's years of dedicated service and reiterated the state's commitment to working with the Federal Government and security agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice.
In a sharp rebuttal to the official explanation that Abubakar died of natural causes related to his underlying health conditions, Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) rejected any suggestion that the retired general died a natural death. "There is nothing natural about dying in the hands of bandits," Charanchi said. "A man abducted from his home or along the road and held captive by criminals did not die a natural death – he died because the state failed in its most sacred responsibility: protecting the lives and property of its citizens." Charanchi added that the death of a retired Major General in captivity raised serious questions about the safety of ordinary Nigerians. "When even a retired major general can be kidnapped and perish in captivity, what hope remains for ordinary Nigerians? This tragedy is a damning indictment of the worsening insecurity ravaging our nation. No amount of official wording can whitewash this painful reality," he stated.
The burial took place at approximately 6:00 p.m. at the Gidan Dawa Cemetery, located opposite the general's residence in Katsina metropolis. A large crowd of mourners gathered, including family members, senior military officers, government officials, security chiefs, traditional title holders, political associates and well-wishers who came to pay their final respects. Funeral prayers were conducted in accordance with Islamic rites, with Qur'anic recitations filling the air in recognition of the general's years of service to the nation. At the graveside, mourners openly wept, with many describing his death as a tragic irony for a man who dedicated his life to defending Nigeria. A resident, Dr Sama'ila Balarabe, told reporters: "This is a painful loss, not just to the family but to the entire state. He served this country faithfully, yet he died in such circumstances."
The whereabouts and condition of the general's wife, Hajiya Amina Abubakar, had initially remained unclear following news of his death. However, crisis reporter Bakatsine later disclosed via his X handle that the late general's wife, who had been held alongside him in captivity, was released by their abductors together with his body. The widow has since been reunited with family members.
The abduction and subsequent death of a former Director of Defence Information in captivity has become a grim milestone in Nigeria's struggle with banditry, demonstrating that even the country's most senior retired officers are not immune to the criminal networks that have turned vast stretches of the North‑West into a lawless frontier. As the nation mourns, the question that lingers is not just how a retired general could be taken, but whether the government can finally turn the tide against an enemy that respects neither rank nor retirement.
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