A contemporary of the abducted general, a retired military officer himself, according to reports, identified the occupants as Major General Batsari (rtd) and his wife, sparking widespread apprehension and concern and also evoking the spectre of the nation’s military top brass exposure to the heinous and sadistic tendencies of marauding violent non-state actors.
On Saturday, Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari (rtd), and his wife were abducted in Katsina State by bandits, marking the latest in high-profile kidnapping and a fresh ordeal for the Nigerian military whose high-ranking men, whether serving or retired, have been at the receiving end of violent attacks, killings and other criminal activities by rampaging armed non-state actors wreaking havoc across the country.
It is the second time in a year that an attack on a retired military General will be abducted in Katsina State with the kidnapping of retired Brigadier General Maharazu Tsiga in 2025 being the first. Tsiga, a former Director-General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), spent 56 days in captivity after he and nine other residents were abducted by bandits.
Batsa, who was the former Director of Defence Information of the Nigerian Army, and his wife, Hajiya Amina Abubakar, and their driver, Abdullahi Sa’idu, were ambushed along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli road near Zakin Baure village in Matazu Local Government Area. Locals with intimate knowledge of the attack said the suspected bandits suddenly emerged from hiding, barricaded the road and opened fire on the vehicle, forcing the driver to bring the vehicle to a halt before abducting the retired officer and his wife into a nearby forest.
Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli road is said to be one of the most dangerous and deadly in the state and has largely been abandoned for more than three years due to the activities of bandits and other criminals, forcing people entering and leaving Katsina state to opt for secure but longer routes. Locals said the general may have been oblivious to the perilous security conditions on the road before his abduction.
Sources familiar with the incident disclosed that the gunmen spared the driver and let him go after he was shot in the hand during the attack. “They shot him in the hand and abandoned him, but took the General and his wife away. He was bleeding seriously but managed to get help and has since been treated,” a source told newsmen.
Security operatives have since recovered the victims’ vehicle and moved it to the Matazu Divisional Police Headquarters as investigations and rescue operations intensified. A local, who spoke in confidence with newsmen, said the attack appeared to be a well-coordinated and thoroughly planned ambush, noting that the assailants came in numbers and the operation happened very fast.
“The gunmen blocked the road and waited for vehicles. Everything happened very fast. They were many and heavily armed. People around could not intervene because of fear,” he said.
Another source said the armed men first attacked a phone-charging stall in the village, where they made away with several mobile phones and power banks, adding that a villager’s motorcycle was seized after which they proceeded to the main road where they laid an ambush for the general’s vehicle and fiercely shot at it.
The incident drew widespread attention and sparked uproar after villagers shared photographs of the abandoned red Peugeot vehicle on social media with a caption seeking information about its owner. “Who knows the owner of this car? The occupants were just abducted by bandits along the Matazu road,” the post read.
A contemporary of the abducted general, a retired military officer himself, according to reports, identified the occupants as Major General Batsari (rtd) and his wife, sparking widespread apprehension and concern and also evoking the spectre of the nation’s military top brass exposure to the heinous and sadistic tendencies of marauding violent non-state actors.
However, locals in the Matazu area believe that there is a good chance that the assailants are not aware that one of the abductees was a retired senior military officer. They also noted that the retired officer may have embarked on the journey because Batsari had become significantly safer and more peaceful in recent months, compared to other parts of the state that have long been overrun by bandits. Many indigenes of the area attested to the improvement in its security, citing their safe travel to and from Batsari during the just concluded Sallah festivities.
Suspected mastermind
Sources within the area have claimed that the retired army General and his wife may have been abducted by men of a bandit leader known as Muhammadu Fulani. He was said to have been wreaking havoc in communities around the Kuki and Sayaya axis.
A source disclosed that the assailants were after a high-profile individual from whom they could demand a significant ransom. However, there is growing uncertainty and doubts on if Fulani’s camp carried out the abduction as there is no concrete and irrefutable evidence to substantiate their involvement in the incident.
The source said Muhammadu Fulani has operated in the area in recent months following a deadly security operation conducted in May this year which decimated his ranks. During the operation, joint security forces reportedly killed five bandits and rescued 32 kidnapped victims in coordinated raids targeting the bandits’ lynchpin camp.
The source noted that the operation considerably hampered the group’s ability to continue its sinister and nefarious activities in the area and this engendered the relative peace that communities around the Batsari axis have enjoyed in recent weeks.
He further asserted that Muhammadu Fulani is notorious for carrying out terrifying large-scale attacks that are usually designed to attract attention and instil fear among residents.
Police reaction deepens confusion
The Katsina State Police Command has also confirmed the attack and abduction but they identified someone else as the victims not the retired army General and his wife.
The police confirmation was contained in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu.
According to the statement, the attack and abduction happened at about 11:00 am on Saturday when armed bandits ambushed a red Peugeot 406 saloon car travelling along the Karaduwa–Matazu road. The occupants were identified as Abdullahi Sa’id, the driver, who sustained a gunshot wound to his right arm, Abdullahi Batsari and Amina Abdullahi.
However, the police failed to mention whether the individuals named in the statement were the same persons widely reported to be the retired General and his wife.
According to the police, the Commissioner of Police in Katsina State, CP Ali Umar Fage, visited the site of the attack shortly after the incident and ordered the immediate deployment of additional personnel and operational assets to strengthen ongoing search-and-rescue efforts.
The command said security operatives were intensifying efforts to rescue the abducted victims unharmed and bring the perpetrators to justice. It added that further updates would be provided as investigations and rescue operations continue.
Local government authorities also expressed concern over the growing insecurity along major and rural roads in the area.
