Bandits Ambush Former Defence Spokesperson, Wife in Katsina

KATSINA, NIGERIA — Gunmen suspected to be armed bandits have abducted a former Director of Defence Information, Major General Rabe Abubakar (rtd), alongside his wife in Katsina State.

​The brazen highway ambush occurred on Saturday along the volatile Matazu axis of the state while the retired senior military officer and his spouse were en route to Katsina.

​Local security sources confirmed that the attackers intercepted the couple’s vehicle, opening fire before whisking them away into the surrounding forests. The driver of the vehicle narrowly escaped death, sustaining severe gunshot injuries during the melee. He is currently receiving medical treatment at an undisclosed facility.

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​Following the attack, security operatives recovered the retired General’s vehicle—a red Peugeot 504—abandoned at the scene. The bullet-ridden vehicle has since been towed to the Matazu Divisional Police Headquarters for forensic examination.

​An internal security alert circulating among top military brass and retired officers, reportedly initiated by retired Brigadier General Sagir Musa, broke the news to the security community. The memo urged immediate, coordinated inter-agency action to track the perpetrators and secure the safe rescue of the general and his wife.

​The Matazu highway has increasingly become a flashpoint for banditry and kidnapping-for-ransom syndicates operating across Nigeria’s North-West region. This high-profile abduction underscores the escalating security challenges confronting commuters, regardless of status or background, on major northern arteries.

​As of press time, neither the Katsina State Police Command nor the Defence Headquarters had issued an official statement regarding the incident. However, reliable military intelligence indicates that a joint search-and-rescue operation comprising the army, police, and local vigilantes has already been activated in the area.