The body of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar has been released alongside his freed wife.
The terrorists opted to release his wife at the same time they surrendered the late general’s body, following his death in their custody.
Upon the return of his remains and the safe release of his wife, funeral prayers were held in Katsina on Saturday, with family members, government officials, military officers and residents in attendance.
The development was confirmed by conflict journalist Bakatsine in a post on X, which included photos of the final rites.
Bakatsine wrote: “Funeral prayers for retired General Rabe Abubakar were held in Katsina this evening. His wife, who had been held alongside him, was released by their captors together with his body. Family members, military officers, government officials, and residents gathered to pay their final respects.”
The funeral follows a statement from the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), which explained that it had intentionally withheld commentary regarding the incident to avoid jeopardizing the ongoing rescue operations being executed by the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
In a statement signed by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the DHQ described Abubakar as a distinguished officer who served the nation in multiple high-profile capacities, including as a spokesperson for various military formations and as the Director of Defence Information.
