Retired Major General Rabe Abubakar is dead — killed not by bullets, but by diabetes and hypertension while in the hands of armed bandits.

The Katsina State Government confirmed the death on Saturday, nearly two weeks after the former director of defence information was snatched from a roadside in Matazu Local Government Area. He was 63.

Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasiru Mu'azu, said the retired officer died a natural death from complications arising from the two conditions. "It's with profound sadness that we confirm the General's death while in bandits' captivity," Mu'azu said in a statement.

Abubakar and his wife, Amina, were abducted on 30 May while travelling along the Marabar Musawa-Kafinsoli road to attend a wedding. Gunmen ambushed their vehicle near Zakin Baure village. Their driver was shot but escaped.

For two weeks, the couple appeared in videos circulated on social media, pleading with President Bola Tinubu, Governor Dikko Radda, and others to intervene. In one clip, Abubakar looked frail — his family had already warned that his health was deteriorating.

The kidnappers weren't asking for cash. They demanded the release of some detained associates and the return of confiscated livestock. The state government and security agencies tried everything. "Despite the relentless and concerted efforts... the situation ended in this tragedy," Mu'azu said.

Abubakar served as the Defence Headquarters spokesperson from 2015 to 2017, during the peak of the military's fight against Boko Haram. He was the face of the military's messaging on the insurgency and other security threats. He retired as a brigadier general but held the honorary rank of major general.

Governor Radda called the death a "dark moment" for Katsina and the country. He said it shows the urgent need for a collective response to the insecurity plaguing the North-west. The governor promised to work with the federal government to bring the killers to justice.

Katsina is one of the states worst hit by banditry. Several local government areas — including Batsari, where Abubakar hails from — face constant attacks, kidnappings, and displacement. Security analysts say the targeting of high-profile figures like a retired general proves how bold these criminal groups have become.

For many Nigerians, the death of a senior military officer in captivity is a stark reminder of the human cost of a crisis the government has struggled to contain. The North-west remains a killing field, and the men with guns seem to have no respect for rank — or for life.