Hajiya Amina Abubakar, widow of retired Major General Abubakar Rabe, remains in captivity weeks after she was abducted alongside her husband in Katsina State.
Security sources said efforts were still underway to secure her release, but declined to disclose operational details or give a possible timeline.
The couple were kidnapped on May 30, 2026, after their vehicle was ambushed along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli road in Matazu Local Government Area of the state.
Before his death was announced, Rabe was seen in a video that circulated on social media, standing beside his wife as their abductors forced them to relay a list of demands.
In the four-minute video, the captors demanded the release of some detained members and the return of livestock allegedly seized during security operations.
Hajiya Amina, speaking under duress in the video, appealed to the Katsina State Government and leaders of five local government areas to intervene and meet the demands of the abductors in order to secure their freedom.
She said the captors were demanding the release of three persons identified as Sani, Aminu and Nasiru. According to her, two of them were arrested in Jikamshi, while the third was arrested in Kano.
However, the hope that the couple would regain freedom was shattered after the Katsina State Government announced Rabe’s death.
Nasiru Mu’azu, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, confirmed in a statement on Saturday that the retired general had died in captivity.
“The Katsina State Government, with a heavy heart and deep sense of loss, wishes to inform the general public of the tragic passing of Retired Major General Rabe Abubakar,” the statement read.
The government said the retired senior military officer died from complications linked to diabetes and hypertension.
Despite Rabe’s death, his widow has not been released.
Earlier in the week, a bandit leader, Kachalla Muhammad, said in an audio message that he had suspended plans to release Hajiya Amina because of increased security presence in the area.
He claimed he had earlier promised the late general that his wife would be released, but later changed his decision following the deployment of security operatives.
“I had promised the General that I would release his wife, but the deployment of security personnel in the area made me change my mind,” he said.
Kachalla also expressed anger over the arrest of persons he claimed were connected to his group, saying the arrests had affected any possible dialogue.
He repeated the demand for the release of three detained individuals and the return of cattle allegedly seized during security operations around Jikamshi.
The bandit leader claimed that meeting the demands could open the door for peace and stop further attacks in the area.
The abduction and death of the retired general have again drawn attention to the worsening insecurity in parts of Katsina State, where communities have continued to face attacks, kidnappings and displacement.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies had not issued fresh details on the ongoing efforts to rescue Hajiya Amina.
