Fresh details have emerged on the ordeal suffered by the late former Director of Defence Information, Major General Rabe Abubakar (retd.), and his wife, Hajiya Amina Abubakar, during their captivity in the hands of bandits in Katsina State.
The revelations came amid lingering questions over the circumstances surrounding their abduction, the death of the retired general, and the eventual rescue of his wife.
Hajiya Amina, who survived a gunshot wound and later regained her freedom, is yet to publicly speak about her experience. However, sources who had access to her while she was receiving treatment have provided insight into what transpired in the final moments of her captivity.
General Rabe’s death sparked outrage across the country, with many Nigerians demanding stronger action against insecurity and accountability from authorities over the handling of the case.
Until Thursday, June 18, 2026, when she was transferred to Abuja for further medical attention, Hajiya Amina was said to have been receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina.
Sources familiar with her condition told Weekend Trust that access to the section of the hospital where she was admitted was strictly restricted to medical personnel, immediate family members, close associates and senior government officials.
According to the sources, after regaining some strength following treatment, she recounted the traumatic events that unfolded after the death of her husband.
One of the sources said the widow described a tense atmosphere among the kidnappers shortly after General Rabe died in captivity.
“She told us that shortly after the death of her husband, the bandits who held them hostage became extremely jittery and agitated,” the source said.
According to the account, the kidnappers hurriedly assembled their motorcycles and prepared to flee the area.
“They mounted her on one of the motorcycles and fled the location where they had been holding her and her husband. From all indications, they were more interested in her than the other captives because they did not make any effort to evacuate their other victims,” the source added.
While fleeing through the forest, the bandits reportedly heard sounds of gunfire from a distance, a development that threw them into confusion.
“She told us that the development disoriented the fleeing bandits and they all went in different directions instead of riding together,” the source said.
As panic spread among the kidnappers, the man transporting her allegedly stopped midway and abandoned her.
“She also told us that the man who was riding with her on his motorcycle soon became frustrated and stopped midway. He forced her to alight from the motorcycle and, probably out of frustration, shot her in the thigh before fleeing the scene.”
The widow was left behind, bleeding heavily and unable to move.
According to the source, a resident of a nearby hamlet later discovered her lying helpless in the bush.
“According to Hajiya Amina, the man asked her what had happened and she narrated her ordeal to him. She was in a state of fear, panting and sweating profusely,” the source recounted.
The man reportedly asked if she was the wife of General Rabe, to which she replied in the affirmative.
However, before he could provide assistance, both of them reportedly heard approaching gunfire believed to be from military personnel searching the area.
The man fled for safety, leaving her behind.
Moments later, troops arrived and discovered the wounded woman.
“She told us that within a few minutes, the soldiers arrived at the scene and found her lying in a pool of blood,” the source said.
The atmosphere reportedly became emotional and celebratory after the troops realised they had found the wife of the late retired general alive.
The local resident who first found her later returned to assist the soldiers.
