Olayinka Akinpelu
Widow of the late Major General Abubakar Rabe (rtd), Hajiya Amina Abubakar, has regained her freedom after spending more than two weeks in captivity following her abduction by bandits in Katsina State.
Her release reportedly came on Monday after troops trailed the kidnappers and engaged them in a gun battle, forcing the bandits to let her go.
Details surrounding the operation remained sketchy as of the time of filing this report.
Hajiya Amina and her husband were abducted on May 30, 2026, when their vehicle was ambushed along the Marabar Musawa-Kafinsoli Road in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The couple were travelling to attend a wedding when the attackers struck.
A week after their abduction, the husband and wife appeared in a four-minute, two-second video circulated on social media, in which their captors outlined conditions for their release.
In the video, Hajiya Amina appealed to the Katsina State Government and leaders of five local government areas to facilitate the release of three individuals identified as Sani, Aminu and Nasiru, whom the kidnappers claimed were their members in detention.
According to her account, two of the individuals were arrested in Jikamshi, while the third was arrested in Kano.
The situation took a tragic turn on Saturday when the death of Major General Rabe was announced, while the kidnappers continued to hold his wife in captivity.
Last week, a notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Muhammad, had claimed that he delayed the release of the retired general’s widow because of the heavy presence of security personnel in the area.
In an audio message, the bandit leader said he had initially promised the late general that his wife would be relea
sed but later changed his mind because of ongoing security operations.
“I had promised the General that I would release his wife, but the deployment of security personnel in the area made me change my mind,” he reportedly said.
Kachalla also expressed anger over the arrest of individuals he claimed were linked to his group, warning that the arrests had complicated efforts toward any possible dialogue.
The release of Hajiya Amina brings an end to her harrowing ordeal, although questions remain over the circumstances surrounding the death of her husband and the full details of the military operation that led to her freedom.
