A RETIRED Nigerian Army officer and former Director of Defence Information, Rabe Abubakar, a Major General and his wife have appealed to government authorities to release three suspected terrorists arrested by security agencies in order to secure their freedom.
The couple made the appeal in a fresh, now viral video released by their abductors.
In the video, the couple appealed to the Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, traditional rulers and local government authorities to address demands reportedly made by their captors.
Speaking in Hausa, Abubakar’s wife said the kidnappers were demanding the release of three individuals identified as Aminu, Sani and Nasiru, whom they claimed had been arrested by security agencies.
She also said the abductors were seeking the return of hundreds of cattle and sheep allegedly confiscated from them.
The woman specifically appealed to authorities in Matazu, Musawa, Kankia, Kurfi and Dutsin-Ma local government areas to intervene, urging community leaders and government officials to help resolve the matter.
According to her, two of the detained men were arrested in Jikamshi, while the third was apprehended in Kano State.
“Three of their children have been arrested: Aminu, Sani and Nasiru, along with some others. They are appealing for their release, as well as the return of their property.
“Their cattle and sheep were also seized. Three hundred cows were taken from them. We are openly appealing and begging, for God’s sake, that anyone who has a role in this matter, anyone with the authority to act, and whom God has entrusted with leadership in Katsina State, should please assist us and intervene in this matter so that these people may regain their freedom.
“Apart from God, these three young men need help. Two of them were arrested in Jikamshi, while the third was arrested separately in Kano State,” she said.
The ICIR reported that Abubakar, a former spokesman of the Armed Forces of Nigeria, was travelling with his wife towards Katsina when gunmen reportedly ambushed their vehicle in Matazu Local Government Area.
On his part, Abubakar, who appeared in a blue kaftan and black cap said their abductors had expressed interest in peace and urged the government to enter dialogue so as to bring lasting peace to the region.
The Katsina State Police Command had then confirmed their abduction, saying the attackers opened fire during the incident, forcing the driver to flee with gunshot injuries.
The attack adds to a growing list of retired military officers who have either been abducted or killed by terrorists, bandits and other armed groups in recent years.
The ICIR reports that Nigeria’s security crisis, fuelled by Boko Haram insurgency, armed banditry and communal violence, has persisted for more than a decade.
While Boko Haram and its splinter faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), continue to launch attacks in the North-East, armed bandit groups have expanded their operations across the North-West and parts of the North-Central region, carrying out kidnappings, village raids and highway ambushes.
A review of reported incidents shows that at least 10 retired senior military officers, including former Chiefs of Defence Staff, major generals, brigadier generals, colonels and an air vice marshal, have either been kidnapped or killed in attacks linked to the country’s insecurity challenges over the past eight years.
Among them was Idris Alkali, a retired Major General whose body was recovered from a well in Plateau State in 2018 after he disappeared while travelling through Jos South Local Government Area.
The same year, former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.), was shot dead by gunmen along the Abuja-Keffi Road while returning from his farm in Nasarawa State.
In November 2021, retired Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Maisaka and his grandson were killed when gunmen invaded his Kaduna residence.
Other victims include retired Colonel Rabi’u Garba Yandoto, who was abducted alongside two of his children in Zamfara State in 2023; retired Major General Richard Duru, who was kidnapped and later killed in Imo State despite the payment of ransom; and retired Brigadier General Uwem Udokwere, who was stabbed to death by gunmen during a home invasion in Abuja in June 2024.
In February 2025, retired Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga, a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps, was kidnapped in Katsina State and spent weeks in captivity before regaining freedom.
Similarly, retired Major Joe Ajayi was abducted in Kogi State in May 2025 and later died in captivity despite the payment of ransom by his family.
Earlier this year, retired Colonel Joseph Ajanaku was kidnapped from his residence in Plateau State but was rescued by troops during a security operation.
