The remains of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who died while being held captive by armed bandits, were laid to rest on Saturday evening in Nigeria’s northwestern Katsina State.
The burial took place at the Gidan Dawa Cemetery at about 6:45pm local time, shortly after the bandits released his body, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Abubakar was buried in accordance with Islamic rites, with family members, friends and sympathisers gathering to pay their final respects.
The retired senior military officer’s death in captivity has renewed concerns over the worsening insecurity in northwestern Nigeria, where heavily armed criminal gangs, commonly referred to as bandits, have continued to carry out kidnappings, killings and attacks on rural communities despite ongoing military operations.
Authorities are yet to provide further details surrounding the circumstances of his death or the conditions under which his remains were released.
The incident has sparked fresh calls for stronger measures to tackle the country’s persistent banditry and restore security across affected regions.
