Relief As Troops Rescue Wife Of Retired General Days After Husband’s Death In Captivity

By Olumuyiwa Olumuyiwa

The family and friends of the retired Major General, Rabe Abubakar, who died in bandits’ den days after his abduction, must have heaved a sigh of relief as what could have been a double whammy was averted.

This is as troops of the Nigerian Army, in collaboration with the personnel of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF), rescued the deceased general’s wife from the clutches of her abductors days after her husband’s death.

The defence headquarters (DHQ) disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday.

According to the statement which was signed by Samaila Uba, the director of defence information, the “rescue operation followed intensified search-and-rescue efforts conducted by troops of Operation FASAN YAMMA.”

The statement continued, “During sustained offensive operations and pressure mounted on the criminal elements, troops made contact with the bandits at Tunga Village, leading to the successful recovery of Mrs Abubakar,”

“Mrs Abubakar was immediately evacuated and is currently receiving medical attention at a military hospital, where she is responding to treatment.”

Uba said the leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria remains committed to ensuring her full recovery and is providing all necessary support to her family.

According to him, the troops will leave no stone unturned in its ongoing operations to track down and neutralise those responsible for the attack.

Recall that Rabe, who once served director of defence information in his lifetime, and his wife were abducted in May while travelling through Katsina.

On June 6, a video surfaced online, showing Abubakar and his wife appealing to the Katsina government to release detained bandits and their livestock to secure their freedom from captivity.

The government, however, refused to yield to the bandits’ demands.

Another video surfaced online showing the retired general covering what appeared to a gunshot wound with leaves. Rabe’s eldest son would later claim that the father was bitten by a snake while in his abductors’ den.

Meanwhile, on Saturday the Katsina state government announced that the retired general had died in captivity.

According to a statement from the government, the general died of complications arising from diabetes and hypertension.

The family of the late general has since dismissed the government’s claim, stressing that their father “was not diabetic or hypertensive”

The remains of Abubakar were laid to rest at the Gidan Dawa Cemetery in Katsina state on Saturday.