Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has vowed to defeat the country's ''greatest enemies'' after an abducted ex-military general died in captivity.
President Tinubu expressed ''shock'' over the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who was kidnapped alongside his wife in Katsina State while travelling to their hometown. The Nigerian president also offered his condolences to the family of the deceased.
“As Nigerians, we must stand united and be assured that the enemies of our nation shall soon be history. We will triumph over terror and continue to build a more prosperous nation,'' Tinubu was quoted as saying in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga.
“General Abubakar’s death should further serve as a defining moment in our battle against terrorists and insurgents, never to negotiate with them on any terms, but to continue to treat them as the greatest enemies of our dear nation, who should never be spared.”
Wife still in captivity
The retired major general was abducted alongside his wife, Hajiya Amina Abubakar, while travelling through Katsina State at the end of last month.
Their driver reportedly escaped with gunshot wounds, while the vehicle was abandoned following the ambush by kidnappers. The late general’s wife is still in captivity and her condition is unclear.
In a statement on Saturday, confirming the Abubakar’s death, Katsina State government said the former senior army officer died of natural causes relating to ‘‘complications’’ from diabetes and hypertension while in captivity.
Days after the kidnapping, the abductors released a video showing the couple in captivity.
Government will not ‘bow’ to kidnappers
In the footage, the retired general’s wife appealed for government intervention and relayed demands made by the kidnappers, including the release of three members of their gang detained by the authorities.
They also demanded the return of livestock allegedly seized from them. No ransom demand was publicly mentioned in the video.
President Tinubu said while ''the terrorists have done their worst,'' his administration ''will never bow to their demand to release their members held by our security agencies.''
The late General Abubakar served in the Nigerian military from 1989, holding several high-ranking offices, including being the military’s spokesperson from 2015 to 2017, when he retired.
Katsina is one of several states in Nigeria worst affected by years of kidnappings for ransom by armed gangs. The kidnappers often target rural communities, travellers, and schools, seizing people for ransom.
In some previous cases, abductors killed their captives when ransom demands were not met. Nigeria has also been grappling with violent activities by terrorist groups, including Boko Haram and Daesh.
In a televised speech on Friday marking Nigeria’s Democracy Day, President Bola Tinubu vowed “no mercy to those who trade in the blood of Nigerians,” including terrorists, bandits, and their “sponsors,” even as he stressed that the door for their surrender remained open.
