Nigerian troops have rescued the wife of a deceased senior military general weeks after the couple was abducted by armed gangs in the country’s north-west.
Mrs. Amina Abubakar was freed during an offensive operation by the army and air force in Katsina State, the Defence Headquarters announced on Monday.
However, her husband, Major General Rabe Abubakar—a prominent figure who previously served as Nigeria’s top military spokesperson—died while still being held in captivity by the gunmen.
The rescue marks a bittersweet conclusion to a high-profile kidnapping that has once again highlighted the severe security crisis gripping Nigeria’s northern region, where heavily armed criminal gangs, locally known as bandits, regularly carry out mass abductions for ransom.
Abandoned under fire
The military said the rescue followed weeks of intensified tracking by a special regional task force known as Operation Fasan Yamma.
Troops finally tracked the kidnappers to a hideout in Tunga Village, Katsina State. Realising they were being surrounded by advancing soldiers, the gunmen shot Mrs Abubakar before fleeing the scene.
“In the course of the encounter, the bandits shot Mrs. Abubakar before abandoning her and fleeing due to the overwhelming pressure,” said military spokesperson Major General Samaila Uba.
Officials added that she was immediately evacuated to a military hospital and is currently “responding to treatment”. The armed forces have vowed to hunt down the perpetrators, promising to escalate operations to “rid affected communities of terrorists”.
A deepening security crisis
The abduction of a retired two-star general and his wife underscores the audacity of the criminal networks operating in north-western Nigeria.
For years, parts of the region have been plagued by lawlessness. What began as localized clashes between nomadic herders and sedentary farmers over land and water has spiralled into a multi-million dollar kidnapping industry.
Major highways, rural villages, and boarding schools have all become targets. Thousands of Nigerians have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced, forcing the government to deploy thousands of troops and air assets to the region.
Despite frequent military announcements claiming the “neutralisation” of bandit camps, the gangs remain highly mobile, hiding in vast, dense forests that span several states, and using the proceeds of ransoms to acquire increasingly sophisticated weaponry.
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