A retired Major General of the Nigerian Army, Abubakar Rabe, and his wife, Hajiya Amina Abubakar, have appealed to government authorities and relevant stakeholders to facilitate their rescue after spending one week in captivity following their abduction in Katsina State.
The appeal was contained in a video released by their abductors and circulated on social media, showing the couple alive and speaking from an undisclosed location.
In the over four-minute video, Hajiya Amina conveyed the demands reportedly made by the abductors, including the release of three individuals identified as Sani, Aminu and Nasiru, as well as the return of livestock allegedly seized from them.
She appealed to the Katsina State Government and community leaders across five local government areas to intervene and help secure their freedom.
Speaking briefly in the footage, Major General Rabe (rtd) called for efforts towards peace and dialogue, noting that the captors had expressed willingness to embrace peaceful coexistence.
Notably, no ransom demand was mentioned in the video.
The retired military officer and his wife were abducted on Saturday while travelling to Katsina alongside their driver, Abdullahi Sa'idu. The incident occurred along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli Road in Matazu Local Government Area.
According to reports, armed men suspected to be bandits ambushed the vehicle near Zakin Baure village, opened fire and forced it to stop before taking the victims away.
The driver reportedly sustained a gunshot injury to his hand during the attack but was later spared by the assailants.
Security sources have also indicated that a notorious bandit leader, identified as Kachallah Muhammad, has reportedly established communication with the family of the retired general since the incident.
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