General’s Death: Rabe’s Son Counters Katsina Govt, Says Father Not Diabetic Or Hypertensive

By Rotela Oguns

Isyaka Rabe, son of the late retired major general who died in bandits’ captivity, Rabe Abubakar, has faulted the reports of Katsina State government concerning the death of his father.

In the wake of General Rabe’s death, the Katsina government had issued a press statement claiming that the former spokesperson of the Nigeria Military Defence Headquarters, died of diabetes-related complications.

The young Rabe, however, noted that the reports by the reports by the government were inaccurate.

Isyaka spoke in an interview with Deutsche Welle Hausa on Sunday.

He stressed that the family does not believe diabetes was responsible for his father’s death.

“Our father was not diabetic and did not suffer from hypertension. People have different opinions about what happened,” he said.

“We believe it was most likely due to a snakebite, while others think he might have stepped on something. From the video, you could see his leg was swollen, but only God knows the true cause of his death.”

He added that some people speculated the late general may have died from a snake bite after a video allegedly released by his abductors surfaced online but stressed that the true cause of death remains unknown.

Describing his father as a devout Muslim and peace-loving man, Isyaka said the retired general lived a modest life and died a hero.

Asked how the family recovered his father’s remains, Isyaka said he had no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding the retrieval of the body.

The general’s son, however, made clarifications on the whereabouts of his mother saying that the family’s matriarch is still languishing in the bandits’ den.

He dismissed as “untrue” reports making the rounds that his mother has regained her freedom.

“When I announced the funeral prayer, many people asked how the body was recovered. I told them I didn’t know and that such questions should be directed to the government,” he said.

“Anyone saying my mother has been released is not telling the truth. As I speak, she is still in their custody.”

The peoplestemplate has reported how the retired major-general and his wife were abducted in May while travelling through Katsina.

The general’s abductors demanded the release of their gang members in government’s detention as part of their conditions to secure the release of the general and his wife.

The government, however, did not grant their request for days.

The retired general later died while in captivity, a development that was confirmed by the military high command.

Following his death, the Defence Headquarters vowed to intensify ongoing operations against terrorist and bandit groups responsible for violent attacks across the country.

Reacting to the retired general’s death, President Bola Tinubu expressed shock saying that the bandits had done their worst.

Tinubu, however, vowed that his administration would not succumb to pressure from the bandits by granting their requests to ensure the freedom of those in their clutches.

Meanwhile, Rabe has since been buried on Sunday following the release of his body by his abductors.