Abductors of Ex-Military Spokesperson Release Video, Demand Swap for Detained Members

​KATSINA, NIGERIA — In a daring escalation of the security crisis in the North-West, the armed bandits holding a former Director of Defence Information, retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, and his wife have released a proof-of-life video demanding a prisoner swap and the return of seized property as conditions for their freedom.

​The four-minute video clip, which began circulating heavily on social media on Saturday, shows the high-profile captives in the custody of their abductors. In the footage, the wife of the retired general acts as the intermediary, delivering a direct appeal to the Katsina State Government and the leaders of five local government areas to satisfy the demands of the gang.

​According to her account in the video, the captors are demanding the unconditional release of three of their detained members, identified as Sani, Aminu, and Nasiru. She noted that two of the individuals were apprehended by security forces in Jikamshi, Katsina State, while the third was arrested in Kano. Additionally, the bandits are demanding the return of livestock allegedly seized from them by security operatives.

​Major General Abubakar, who spoke briefly during the recording, sued for peace and diplomatic intervention, indicating that his captors expressed an open willingness to engage in dialogue and peaceful coexistence if their conditions are met.

​The retired general and his wife were ambushed on Saturday, May 30, 2026, while traveling in a Peugeot vehicle along the Karaduwa–Matazu Road near Zakin Baure village in the Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State. The couple was reportedly en route from Abuja for the Eid-el-Kabir celebrations when armed men opened fire on their vehicle. Their driver, Abdullahi Sa’id, sustained a gunshot wound to his right arm but managed to escape and was later evacuated by emergency responders.

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​Security sources indicate that a notorious bandit warlord, Kachallah Muhammad, who commands a heavily armed criminal faction operating across Katsina State, has established a direct line of communication with the general’s family to press home these demands.

​The incident has triggered immense anxiety among Katsina residents and the military hierarchy. Major General Abubakar was a highly visible public face of the Nigerian Armed Forces, leading national and counterinsurgency communications during a critical era of military operations.

​While the Defence Headquarters previously stated that intelligence assets and the Katsina State Police Command had launched joint search-and-rescue operations, neither the military high command nor the Katsina State Government has issued an official response regarding the newly released video or the prisoner-swap demands.