A video has emerged showing the retired Nigerian Defence Headquarters (DHQ) former Director of Defence Information, Major General Rabe Abubakar (retd.), and his wife in captivity after they were abducted along the Matazu axis of Katsina State.
In the footage, which has been circulating on social media and security circles, the retired senior military officer and his wife were seen speaking under apparent duress, pleading for mercy and appealing for their release.
The video is the first visual confirmation since reports emerged that the former military spokesperson and his wife were kidnapped by armed men while travelling through the Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
In the clip, the abductors reportedly positioned the retired general and his wife in an undisclosed forest location, where they were made to speak while surrounded by armed men.
Security sources familiar with the situation said the kidnappers appear to be using the video as part of a negotiation strategy, with claims circulating that a notorious bandit kingpin identified as “Kachalla Maha” is involved in the ongoing talks.
According to emerging claims within local security networks, the abductors are allegedly demanding a prisoner exchange involving some of their associates in custody in return for the freedom of the retired general and his wife.
The development comes days after SaharaReporters reported that Maj. Gen. Rabe Abubakar and his wife were intercepted and abducted while travelling in Katsina State. Their driver reportedly escaped the attack with gunshot injuries, while their vehicle was later recovered and taken to a police division in the area.
At the time, security authorities had not issued an official statement confirming the abduction, even as messages circulated among military and security contacts raising alarm over the incident.
Katsina State, alongside neighbouring Zamfara, has remained one of the epicentres of banditry in northwestern Nigeria, with repeated cases of mass kidnappings, ransom negotiations, and armed attacks on highways and rural communities.
The latest video has further intensified concerns over the safety of abducted high-profile victims in the region, as well as renewed questions about the operational strength of armed groups operating across forest corridors in the North-West.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Nigerian military nor the Katsina State Police Command had issued an updated official statement on the release of the video or the condition of the abducted retired general and his wife.
