Armed bandits who are holding a retired Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Rabe Abubakar, and his wife captive have demanded the release of their detained members and seized livestock as conditions to free the couple.
The kidnappers made their conditions known in a video released on Saturday.
In the footage, the retired Army General is seen alongside his wife as they appealed to the Katsina State government to intervene and secure their freedom.
Speaking in the video, General Abubakar’s wife called upon the Katsina State Governor, Dikko Umar Radda, as well as the chairmen of the Matazu, Musawa, Kankia, Charanchi, and Kusada Local Government Areas of the state to help fulfill the demands.
She explained that the armed group is insisting on the freedom of their detained colleagues, alongside the return of their confiscated cattle and goats.
“Three of their boys have been arrested, including Aminu, Sani Nasiru and others, and they want them released alongside all their properties, their cows and goats that were captured as well,” she said in the video.
“We are begging all those concerned to help us heed these demands so we can be released. Two of the boys were captured in Jikamshi and the other one was arrested separately, so we are appealing to the government to please adhere to their demands, release them and release their cows.”
Major General Abubakar and his wife were kidnapped last Saturday during a journey along the Matazu Highway in Katsina State.
Reports indicate that the couple was ambushed by armed men who blocked their vehicle and took them away to an unknown location.
At the time of this report, authorities have not released an official statement regarding the demands made by the kidnappers.
