Retired Major General Rabe Abubakar is dead — killed while in the hands of terrorists who snatched him and his wife two weeks ago in Katsina State.
The news broke Saturday evening, hours after President Bola Tinubu and the Senate Committee on Army issued statements mourning the former Director of Defence Information. Abubakar was abducted along the Katsina–Matazu road on May 30 while travelling to his hometown. His wife remains in captivity.
Tinubu, through his media aide Bayo Onanuga, said the terrorists "have done their worst" but the government won't bend to their demand to release their own members held by security agencies. He repeated the warning he gave on Democracy Day, June 12: "Bandits, kidnappers, and sponsors of terror should now surrender or face the full force of the Nigerian state."
"These windows of surrender won't remain open forever. And no mercy will be shown to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians."
The President called Abubakar's death a "defining moment" and said Nigeria must never negotiate with terrorists on any terms. He urged citizens to stay united, assuring them that "the enemies of the nation shall soon be history."
Senator Abdulaziz Yar'Adua, chairman of the Senate Committee on Army, also expressed deep sorrow. He praised Abubakar's service to Nigeria — both in uniform and after retirement, when he continued to contribute to national security discussions. The committee sent condolences to the Abubakar family, the Nigerian Army, Batsari Local Government Area, and the entire Katsina State.
Abubakar retired a few years ago after a military career that saw him serve as Director of Defence Information, the military's top spokesman. He was a regular voice during the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, explaining military operations to the public.
His abduction on a highway in broad daylight — and now his death in captivity — raises fresh questions about security in the North-West, where bandit gangs and terrorist groups operate with alarming freedom. The Katsina–Matazu road has become notorious for kidnappings, despite repeated government promises to secure the region.
Tinubu's statement made no mention of any rescue operation or whether security forces had located the captors. The President simply repeated his hardline stance: no talks, no prisoner swaps, and a promise that the full force of the state will hit those responsible.
For now, the Abubakar family is left to mourn a husband and father — while his wife remains in the hands of the same men who killed him.