Katsina Government Intensifies Rescue Efforts for Abducted General, Wife

The Katsina State Government has intensified its efforts to secure the release of retired Maj. Gen. Rabe Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information, his wife, and other kidnapped victims. In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Information and Culture, Bala Zango, the government expressed optimism that the victims would soon regain their freedom. According to the statement, preliminary investigations revealed that the abduction was a deliberate and targeted operation. The government noted that the precision of the operation suggested the involvement of organised criminal groups and said the findings were guiding ongoing rescue efforts. Governor Dikko Radda directed security agencies to prioritise the safe rescue of the retired military officer, his wife, and other captives immediately after their abduction along the Matazu axis of the state. The government described the abduction of the retired general, his wife, and other victims as an affront to the state, adding that those responsible would be brought to justice. The statement said collaboration had been intensified with the Nigerian Army, the police, and other intelligence agencies to ensure a breakthrough without compromising the safety of the victims. The government appealed to residents to provide any information regarding suspicious movements or activities that may have preceded the incident, saying such details could assist security agencies in dismantling the network behind the abduction. The abductors had demanded the release of three detained fighters and the return of livestock allegedly seized during security operations as conditions for the couple's freedom. The demands were conveyed in a four-minute video released by the kidnappers. In the footage, the wife of the former defence spokesman, who spoke in Hausa, appealed to the Katsina State Government, traditional rulers, and community leaders across five local government areas to intervene and facilitate the release of the detained bandits identified as Sani, Aminu, and Nasiru. The couple was reportedly travelling with their driver along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli Road in Matazu Local Government Area when armed men ambushed their vehicle near Zakin Baure village and whisked them into a nearby forest. Their driver reportedly escaped despite sustaining gunshot injuries during the attack, while security operatives later recovered the victims' vehicle, a red Peugeot 504, and moved it to the Matazu Divisional Police Headquarters. The government urged the family of the retired military officer and members of the public to remain calm, assuring them that every available resource was being deployed to secure the release of the captives.