Retired Maj.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, the former Director of Defence Information, is dead — three weeks after bandits snatched him and his wife from their home in Katsina State.
Katsina State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasiru Mu’azu, confirmed the death on Saturday. He said Abubakar died from complications of hypertension and diabetes while still in captivity.
"We confirm with profound sadness the death of retired Maj.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar while in bandits' captivity," Mu’azu said in a statement. "Despite the relentless and concerted efforts of the state government and security agencies to secure his safe release, the situation ended in this tragedy."
Abubakar served as the military's chief spokesman from 2015 to 2018 under former President Muhammadu Buhari. He was the one who regularly faced the press on behalf of the armed forces during the peak of the Boko Haram insurgency — a job that made him one of the most recognisable faces in Nigeria's security establishment.
His abduction happened around late May 2026. Bandits stormed his residence, took him and his wife, and vanished into the forests that have become strongholds for criminal gangs terrorising northwest Nigeria. The wife's condition is still unknown.
Mu’azu described the general's death as a "devastating loss" for Katsina State and the entire country. He said Governor Dikko Radda views the incident as "a dark moment in the state's fight against insecurity."
"The governor extends his deepest condolences to the family of the late general and the nation. He described the incident as a dark moment and a reminder of the need for collective action in tackling the menace of banditry and other security challenges."
The commissioner added that the state government had been working with security agencies to secure Abubakar's release. Those efforts failed.
Katsina is one of the states hardest hit by banditry — armed gangs that raid villages, kidnap for ransom, and kill with impunity. Despite military operations and amnesty deals, the attacks haven't stopped. Abubakar's death is a stark reminder that no one — not even a retired general who once spoke for the entire military — is safe.
Mu’azu said the government's resolve to fight banditry remains "unwavering." He prayed for Abubakar's soul and urged citizens to support security agencies.
The state government says it will work with the Federal Government and security agencies to track down the killers. Mu’azu promised that those responsible would be brought to justice. But for a region where bandits operate almost freely, that promise has been made many times before.
Abubakar's family and the military community are now waiting for the return of his remains. The general leaves behind a legacy as the face of Nigeria's defence establishment during some of its toughest years.