Retired Nigerian Army officer and former Director of Defence Information, Major General Rabe Abubakar, has reportedly been abducted alongside his wife in Katsina State.
The incident was disclosed on Saturday by former senator, Babafemi Ojudu, who said he received the information from retired Brigadier General Sagir Musa.
According to details shared by Ojudu on his verified Facebook page, the retired senior military officer and his wife were travelling to their hometown in Katsina when they were intercepted and abducted by gunmen in Matazu Local Government Area of the state.
The message attributed to Brigadier General Musa stated that the couple was kidnapped along the Matazu axis, while their driver escaped from the attack despite sustaining a gunshot wound.
The message further indicated that the red Peugeot 406 vehicle belonging to the retired officer was recovered and parked at the Matazu Divisional Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force.
“Maj Gen R. Abubakar, former Director of Defence Information, was kidnapped together with his wife on his way to Katsina today. He was kidnapped along Matazu LGA of Katsina State. His driver escaped with gunshot injury,” the message read.
As of the time of filing this report, neither the Katsina State Police Command nor the Defence Headquarters had officially confirmed the incident.
Major General Abubakar served as Director of Defence Information between 2015 and 2017. He succeeded Major General Chris Olukolade following Olukolade’s retirement in August 2015.
During his tenure as Defence spokesman, Abubakar was responsible for coordinating media and public affairs activities for the Armed Forces of Nigeria and regularly briefed the public on military operations and security developments across the country.
The reported abduction has sparked concern among military veterans and security stakeholders, particularly amid ongoing efforts by security agencies to curb kidnapping and other violent crimes in parts of northern Nigeria.
Security agencies are yet to provide details on rescue efforts or the circumstances surrounding the incident.
