Bandits Release Video of Kidnapped Ex-Army Spokesman & Wife, Demand Freedom for Detained Associates
Bandits have released a video showing retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, a former Director of Defence Information, and his wife days after the couple was abducted in Katsina State.
The retired Army officer and his wife were reportedly kidnapped along the Matazu Highway in Matazu Local Government Area on Saturday, May 30. The video, which surfaced on social media, is said to be the first visual evidence of the couple since their abduction.
According to reports, the bandits, led by a notorious figure identified as Kachalla Maha, used the video to press their demands, calling on authorities to release some of their detained associates in exchange for the freedom of the retired general and his wife.
The development has heightened concerns over the growing insecurity in parts of northern Nigeria, with observers noting that the demand amounts to a proposed prisoner exchange involving suspected criminals and innocent hostages.
Authorities have yet to officially respond to the latest demand as efforts to secure the safe release of the victims continue.