Retired military officers and close associates of the late Major General Rabe Abubakar gathered in Kaduna to honour their fallen colleague and push back against narratives that frame Nigeria’s escalating insecurity as a northern problem, calling it a nationwide emergency that demands a collective national response.
Nigeria’s insecurity crisis has a new flashpoint — and the men who knew the late Major General Rabe Abubakar best want the country to stop pointing fingers at the North. Colleagues, diplomats and retired senior officers held a press briefing in Kaduna on Thursday to mourn the former military spokesman and send a clear message: this crisis belongs to the whole country.
As reported by the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, retired Brigadier General Ismaila Abdullahi spoke on behalf of the group, which included retired Air Commodore Yusuf Anas, Brigadier Generals Maharazu Tsiga and Abdulkadir Abubakar, and Ambassadors Mohammed Musawa and Ibrahim Usman Gafai. Abdullahi described the late general as a man whose career was defined by loyalty and dedication, arguing that his death “is not merely an isolated incident but a reflection of the broader security challenges confronting the country.”
The group stressed that “kidnappings, banditry and terrorism have become a daily reality for many Nigerians, while public confidence in government’s ability to protect lives and property continues to decline.”
General Abubakar and his wife, Hajiya Amina, were ambushed and abducted by armed bandits along the Matazu axis of Katsina State on May 30, 2026, while travelling to a wedding. He died in captivity on June 13, with his wife later rescued by troops during a military search-and-rescue operation.
As one commentator put it: “The insecurity that claims a farmer in Zamfara, a trader in Katsina, a traveller in Kaduna or a retired General in his home is ultimately part of the same national challenge.” The retired officers echoed that sentiment, calling for urgent security reforms rather than divisive regional blame.
NEWS NOW:
