Abductors of General Rabe Abubakar contact family, demand release of detained gang members
Following the weekend abduction of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari and his wife, a notorious bandit kingpin has opened a line of communication with the victim’s family, demanding a prisoner swap for his detained gang members.
Nigerian Sketch gathered that Kachallah Muhammad, a notorious bandit leader operating across Katsina State, established contact with the family on Monday morning.
A senior local government official from Batsari, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to security concerns, confirmed that he personally spoke with the abducted general during the call facilitated by the bandit leader.
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“I spoke with Major General Rabe through Kachallah Muhammad. He told us that he is hale and hearty and that his wife is also fine,” the official told our correspondent.
According to the source, the retired general assured his family and associates that they were being adequately taken care of by their captors—a development that has slightly eased the initial panic and anxiety among relatives.
The bandit’s demands
During the interaction, the bandit leader, Kachallah Muhammad, made his terms clear. Rather than the traditional monetary ransom, Muhammad is demanding the freedom of his relatives currently held by Nigerian security agencies.
“He said what he wants is the immediate release of his relatives in government custody,” the official disclosed.
Surprisingly, the bandit kingpin also expressed a willingness to return to the negotiation table to restore peace in Matazu local government area and other territories under his control.
The retired Major General and his wife were violently abducted on Saturday along the notorious Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli Road in Matazu LGA.
Witnesses report that gunmen emerged from the bushes, blocked the road, and opened heavy fire on the General’s vehicle, forcing it to a halt. The couple was then forcefully marched into the nearby forest.
Local residents have long complained that the particular stretch of road has become a death trap due to relentless bandit activities.
Community in Shock: “If a General can be taken, who is safe?”
The abduction of the high-ranking retired officer has sent shockwaves through Batsari, a community heavily reliant on his philanthropy and leadership.
Mariya Ibrahim, a family member, revealed that the retired general—the primary provider for the extended family—was traveling to Katsina for a wedding when the ambush occurred.
“He served this country with dedication and deserves protection even in retirement. We want him and his wife rescued unharmed,” she pleaded.
Expressing the community’s growing dread, another resident, Ibrahim Mamman Batsari, noted the terrifying implications of the attack:
“If a retired senior military officer can be kidnapped, then ordinary citizens are even more vulnerable. Government must rise to its responsibility.”
Haruna Mai Maganin Kwari Batsari, a local community leader, added that the general was actively involved in local development projects and was expected in town on the day of his abduction to chair a community meeting.
Reacting to the incident, security analyst Abubakar Ibrahim warned that targeting a retired Major General signals a dangerous shift in the audacity of terror groups in the Northwest.
“The kidnapping of a retired Major General shows how emboldened bandits have become,” Ibrahim warned. “It exposes the extreme vulnerability of our major highways and rural communities. If urgent and decisive military action is not taken, the situation could further deteriorate.”
As of the time of filing this report, the Katsina State Police Command and military authorities have not issued an official statement regarding the bandit’s demands or ongoing rescue operations.
