June 17, 2026
“And as his genius was destitute of judgement, he attempted every art, except the important ones of war and government.” — Edward Gibbon on Emperor Gallienus
Edward Gibbon judged him a most contemptible prince. The Roman Emperor Gallienus, son of the unfortunate Emperor Valerian, was said to have received with disturbing coldness the fate that befell his father when he was defeated and taken captive by the Persian King Shapur I. Gallienus merely shrugged off and lamented his father’s disgrace in passing, and then returned to a life of luxury, indolence and self-absorption, until he too was consumed by the violence and tumult of his own empire.
Violence and tumult are unpredictable forces. They may erupt anywhere, at any time, and may befall anyone, whether prepared for them or not. The tragic death of Major-General Rabe Abubakar, Rtd, should therefore serve as a warning to us all about the dangers of laxity, complacency and indifference in the discharge of public responsibility, regardless of which Nigerian is involved, or from where he or she comes.
A dry, matter-of-fact press statement released by the Katsina State Government announced the death in captivity of the retired general. Such an ignominious end to an illustrious life dedicated to the service of his country should ordinarily have aroused indignation, outrage and a heightened sense of national shame in all of us. But having normalised absurdity, and having accepted the curtailment of our dignity as a condition of existence, we seem prepared to receive even the abduction and death of a retired general as merely another unfortunate incident in our unfortunate country.
