Retired Nigerian general Rabe Abubakar abducted with his wife in the north-west
Former Nigerian Defence Headquarters spokesperson Brigadier-General (Rtd) Rabe Abubakar was taken with his wife by an armed group near his hometown of Funtua in north-west Katsina state, returning attention to the region's persistent security challenges.
BBC AfricaAccording to BBC Africa, Brigadier-General (Rtd) Rabe Abubakar was seized along with his wife at his farm near Funtua in Katsina state by an armed group, underscoring that years of bandit attacks in north-west Nigeria can also target retired senior military figures.
Katsina state police chief Imran Daura said channels with the abductors are being sought and a special rescue team has been dispatched, while federal Defence Ministry spokesperson Edward Buba said national security institutions are running a coordinated response. Lagos-based Africa Security Sector Reform Network analyst Aisha Yusuf flagged a 24% rise in kidnapping incidents in the region over the past 18 months.
US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce and UN Office for West Africa representative Leonardo Santos Simão condemned the incident and called for humanitarian dialogue channels to remain open. Türkiye's Ministry of Foreign Affairs sharing of security intelligence coordination continues through standard channels. This piece is not legal or security advice.
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