Former Defence Spokesman, Wife Abducted by Gunmen in Katsina
Suspected armed bandits have abducted a former Director of Defence Information, Major General Rabe Abubakar (retd.), and his wife in Katsina State.
The retired military officer and his wife were reportedly kidnapped on Saturday morning while travelling through Matazu Local Government Area of the state.
According to security sources, the couple’s vehicle was ambushed by heavily armed gunmen who intercepted them along the route and whisked them away to an unknown location.
The sources disclosed that the retired general’s driver managed to escape despite sustaining a gunshot wound during the attack.
“Major General Rabe Abubakar, former Director of Defence Information, was kidnapped together with his wife while travelling to Katsina. The incident occurred in Matazu Local Government Area. His driver escaped with a gunshot injury,” a security source said.
It was further gathered that the red Peugeot 504 vehicle belonging to the retired officer was later recovered and taken to the Matazu Divisional Police Headquarters.
A security alert reportedly circulated among military and security personnel shortly after the incident, calling for urgent action to secure the release of the victims.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Katsina State Police Command nor military authorities had issued an official statement on the abduction.
Katsina State remains one of the areas most affected by banditry in Nigeria’s North-West region. Armed groups operating in the area have continued to carry out kidnappings, killings, cattle rustling, and attacks on communities despite ongoing security operations by government forces.
Several peace initiatives and negotiations aimed at ending the violence in Katsina and neighbouring Zamfara State have yielded limited results, with attacks continuing across many local government areas.
