A former Director of Defence Information, Major General Rabe Abubakar (retd.), and his wife have reportedly been abducted by suspected terrorists along the Matazu axis of Katsina State.
According to sources familiar with the incident, the retired military officer and his wife were travelling to Katsina on Saturday when armed men intercepted their vehicle and took them away.
The abduction reportedly occurred in Matazu Local Government Area, one of the areas in Katsina State that has experienced repeated attacks by armed groups in recent years.
Sources disclosed that the retired general’s driver escaped from the scene despite suffering a gunshot wound during the attack.
“Major General Rabe Abubakar, former Director of Defence Information, was kidnapped together with his wife while travelling to Katsina. The incident happened along Matazu Local Government Area. His driver managed to escape despite sustaining a gunshot injury,” a source said.
The source further revealed that the vehicle belonging to the retired officer, a red Peugeot 504, was later recovered and taken to the Matazu Divisional Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force.
“The officer’s red Peugeot 504 is currently parked at the Matazu Division of the Nigeria Police Force,” the source added.
A security alert reportedly circulated among military and security personnel also raised concerns over the incident and urged relevant authorities to take immediate action.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Katsina State Police Command nor military authorities had issued an official statement confirming the reported abduction.
Katsina State, alongside neighbouring Zamfara State, remains one of the regions most affected by banditry and kidnapping in Nigeria’s North-West. Armed groups operating in the area have continued to carry out attacks on communities, engage in cattle rustling, and abduct residents for ransom despite ongoing security operations.
Over the years, federal and state authorities have introduced several measures, including peace negotiations and security offensives, aimed at restoring peace in the region. However, attacks by armed groups have persisted across a number of local government areas.
The latest incident has raised fresh concerns about security challenges in the region, particularly following the reported abduction of a retired senior military officer and his wife.
