Major General Rabe Abubakar, former military spokesman, dies in captivity
Since January 2026, the country has witnessed a renewed upsurge in the murderous activities of bandits and Boko Haram insurgents, with attacks growing bolder and casualties climbing higher. From the abduction of school children and their teachers in Ogbomosho, Oyo State, to the sacking of communities in Kwara, Sokoto, Zamfara, Katsina and Niger States, Nigerians are daily reminded that the nation is under siege and nowhere is safe from the activities of these deadly marauders. As it is happening to other Nigerians, the roll call of high-calibre victims keeps increasing by the day. Tragically, the latest name etched on that grim register is retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, a former military spokesman who was abducted alongside his wife somewhere in Katsina State and confirmed dead after being held for about two weeks. Fortunately, the wife has been rescued.
We express our deepest condolences to the family of the deceased general. For about 35 years, Abubakar served in the Nigerian Army with distinction. He came into limelight as the Director of Defence Information and became the calm and measured voice of the military during some of its most turbulent periods. He briefed the nation through the heat of the counter-insurgency operations, defended the integrity of the Armed Forces before local and international media, and worked tirelessly to bridge the gap between soldiers in the trenches and citizens at home. He was a familiar voice to Nigerians during critical periods, articulating the military’s position with clarity and restraint. Officers and soldiers who served under Abubakar recall a man of discipline, intellect, and uncommon loyalty to the system.
