General, wife kidnapped in Katsina

Armed bandits have abducted a retired Major General, Rabe Abubakar, and his wife along the Matazu axis of Katsina State.

A security source said the incident occurred on Saturday as Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information, was travelling to Katsina to attend a wedding. The attackers reportedly ambushed his vehicle, shot at it, and took the couple into the forest.

His driver escaped with gunshot injuries.

A video circulating online showed the victims’ vehicle, a red Peugeot 504, parked at the Matazu Divisional Police Headquarters, with visible bullet holes on its body.

The incident marks the second known attack involving a retired general in Katsina in recent times. In 2025, Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga, a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), was abducted and spent 56 days in captivity.

Katsina State has continued to grapple with insecurity despite ongoing efforts to curb criminal activities.

In a separate attack on Friday, bandits raided Kiliya village in Dutsinma Local Government Area, killing at least 16 people shortly after Juma’at prayers during Eid-el-Kabir celebrations.

A resident, who spoke anonymously, said the attackers stormed the village on motorcycles, causing panic as people tried to flee.

“People started running when they saw them, but the gunmen ordered everyone to stop,” he said.

He added that the assailants later moved toward a mechanic’s house and began shooting indiscriminately at residents and passersby.

The witness said he survived by hiding inside a nearby house.

“After the Friday prayers, we were sitting together when I called a boy selling local drinks. Suddenly, the bandits arrived. The boy and I ran into a house and hid. We heard screams and gunshots everywhere.

“When the shooting stopped and we came out, we saw about 16 bodies, including some of my relatives,” he said.

The attack forced more than 400 residents to flee to neighbouring Bagagadi and Radda villages, while several others remain missing.

Residents also reported that some victims were killed on their farms, with bodies later discovered in surrounding farmlands, raising fears that the death toll could increase.