There was a twist yesterday to Saturday’s abduction of one-time military spokesman Maj.-Gen Rabe Abubakar and his wife.
Abductors of the General demanded the release of their men in security custody as condition for the release of their victims.
A combo of Gen. Rabe and the car he was in at the time of his abduction
The General was spokesman of the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) 2015 and 2017 before retiring from the Army.
According to a report by The Nation, sources close to the General’s family revealed that the leader of the terrorist group that abducted him, Kachalla Muhammadu, had contacted the family yesterday giving the condition of “prisoner swap”.
It was further learnt that when Kachalla contacted the family, he allowed them to speak with the General, who, according to the sources, told them that he was healthy and in good condition.
Kachalla, it was gathered, told the family members to pass his message to the government the military authorities.
Furthermore, Kachalla, according to the sources, expressed his intention to return to the path of peace with communities in the area, should the matter be resolved amicably.
But neither the Katsina State Government nor the military had spoken on the development.
Gen. Abubakar and his wife, travelling in a Peugeot 406 car to Katsina, were attacked at Matazu Local Government Area. They were seized by gunmen.
Before their capture, the vehicle in which they were travelling was riddled with bullets.
The driver, who sustained gunshot wounds, was not abducted by the gunmen.