Contradiction, mystery shroud recovery of late Gen. Rabe’s body as family rejects official cause of death
Deepening controversy and conflicting accounts have continued to trail the recovery of the remains of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, even as his family strongly disputes the official cause of his death while in the custody of bandits.
The late General Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information, was abducted alongside his wife on May 30, 2026, along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli Road in the Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
While the Katsina State Government formally announced that the retired general died in captivity due to complications from diabetes and hypertension, his family has fiercely rejected this narrative, insisting he had no history of either condition.
Inside the conflicting accounts of the body’s recovery
Exactly how the late general’s remains were retrieved from his captors remains a subject of intense speculation, with multiple narratives emerging from the locals and security sources.
READ ALSO: Medical experts query official account of Retired General Rabe’s death in captivity
A security source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, revealed that the kidnappers reached out to state officials and directed an ambulance to a location near the Karaduwa community.
According to this source, the recovery team was strictly warned not to bring any security personnel.
“They said they did not want any security presence,” the source stated.
The ambulance driver was allegedly instructed to head toward the Karaduwa bridge, turn the vehicle back toward Matazu, and wait. The bandits then reportedly arrived on motorcycles, handed over the corpse, and instructed the crew not to touch the body until they had left the scene. The remains were later moved to Matazu before being transported to Katsina under a heavy military escort.
The sawmill abandonment
A contrasting account from a local resident suggests that the body was simply dumped by the criminals and later stumbled upon by community members.
“Near the area where they have machines used for cutting wood for people who buy and sell—that was where it was dumped,” the resident said.
According to this version, locals discovered the remains near the sawmill, alerted security agencies, and an ambulance escorted by the army subsequently picked up the body.
Adding to the confusion, former Kogi West Senator, Dino Melaye, claimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter) that “heavily armed bandits” directly handed over the general’s body in Katsina before retreating into a forest in Matazu. However, a review of the visuals shared by the politician revealed significant inconsistencies, including the depiction of a woman who did not match the profile of the general’s wife.
Military authorities have yet to issue an official statement to clarify these conflicting reports.
The family of the deceased officer is not only demanding clarity on how his body was retrieved, but they are also grappling with the painful reality that the general’s wife remains in the hands of the bandits.
Speaking to Deutsche Welle (DW), the late general’s son, Isyaka Abubakar, expressed the family’s profound confusion.
On the recovery: “When I announced the time for my father’s funeral prayer, many people began asking how the body was recovered. I told them I did not know and that they should direct such questions to the government. I myself want to know how the body was recovered without rescuing her.”
Isyaka debunked viral rumors claiming his mother had been freed. “Take it from me, our mother is still in captivity. She has not been released.”
Medical history disputed: Illness vs. snake bite
The family has also flatly rejected the Katsina State government’s medical report regarding the general’s demise. Isyaka maintained that his father never suffered from diabetes or hypertension.
Instead, suspicion within the family points toward a more sinister cause. Both Isyaka and his sister, Adda Abubakar, pointed to a video released by the kidnappers prior to the general’s death, which led them to suspect he may have succumbed to a snake bite in the forest.
In the wake of the general’s tragic death and the ongoing captivity of his wife, the military has intensified its operations in Katsina State.
The Joint Task Force North West, Operation FANSAN YAMMA, has officially launched Operation CLEAN SWEEP III targeting the Matazu Local Government Area and surrounding communities like Karaduwa.
Troops have reportedly begun aggressive clearance operations, raiding identified terrorist and bandit enclaves in a bid to dismantle the criminal networks operating in the axis and secure the release of remaining hostages.
As General Rabe Abubakar is laid to rest, his death has once again thrust Nigeria’s persistent kidnapping crisis into the national spotlight, leaving a grieving family waiting for both answers and the safe return of their matriarch.
