The tragic death of retired Major General Abubakar Rabe in the bandit captivity, coupled with the simultaneous burning of schools in Chibok, has ignited a fierce condemnation from the former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
He asserts that the sacrifices of Nigerian soldiers and citizens are being rendered futile by the current administration’s incompetence and cluelessness.
Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in a statement on Sunday, described General Rabe’s death as a “damning indictment of the Federal Government’s failure to secure the lives of Nigerians.”
He emphasized that the incident “exposes the ineffectiveness of the Tinubu administration’s approach to tackling insecurity and highlights the frightening reality that no Nigerian, regardless of status or service to the nation, is safe.”
General Rabe, a distinguished former Army Spokesperson and Director of Defence Information, was abducted on May 30, 2026, alongside his wife, who remains in captivity in Katsina State.
Reports indicate he succumbed to complications from diabetes and
hypertension during his ordeal, following the unsuccessful efforts to secure his release.
“It is with profound sadness and deep anger that we mourn the death of retired Major General Abubakar Rabe. That such a man could end up dying in the hands of criminals is both heartbreaking and unacceptable,” Atiku stated, highlighting General Rabe’s lifelong dedication to defending Nigeria.
The former Vice President stressed that this tragedy is not an isolated incident but a “stark reflection of a nation where criminal elements have become emboldened while citizens are increasingly left to fend for themselves.”
He noted that other senior military officers and prominent Nigerians have suffered similar fates, sending a dangerous message: “those who once defended the nation can no longer rely on the nation for protection.”
The gravity of General Rabe’s death was compounded by another horrifying development on the same day: terrorists attacked the Kautikari community in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, setting primary and secondary school facilities ablaze.
Chibok, a name synonymous with the 2014 abduction of over 270 schoolgirls, represents a “national scar” and a “symbol of pain, loss, and collective trauma.”
Atiku lamented, “The flames that consumed those school buildings on Saturday also reignited painful memories that Nigerians have spent more than a decade trying to overcome.
The tragedy is not merely that schools were burnt; it is that a wound that never truly healed has been torn open once again.
He further articulated the devastating symbolism: “A retired General who spent his life fighting for the security of Nigeria dies in the hands of criminals, while terrorists return to one of their most notorious trademarks, attacking schools and terrorising communities in
Borno State.”
This, he argued, tells Nigerians that “despite the sacrifices of our soldiers,
despite the billions spent on security, despite the countless lives lost in the war against terror, the nation is steadily losing the gains that were won through blood and sacrifice.”
With approximately 90 schoolchildren and teachers still held captive from Oyo and Borno States since May 15, Atiku warned that the burning of schools in Chibok should alarm every Nigerian and force the government to confront the worsening insecurity.
“Every school burned by terrorists is an attack on Nigeria’s future. Every child abducted is a reminder of state failure. Every citizen killed or left in captivity is an indictment of a security architecture
that is no longer working.”
Calling for a state of emergency on security, Atiku urged the Federal Government to move beyond “empty promises, propaganda, and routine condemnations.”
He demanded “decisive, coordinated, and result-oriented action” to rescue captives, dismantle criminal networks, and restore public confidence.
Extending condolences to General Rabe’s family and praying for the safe release of his wife and all captives, Atiku concluded, “May the soul of General Rabe rest in peace. But let his death serve as a wake-up call.
A nation that cannot protect its heroes, its children, and its citizens is a nation facing a grave crisis. The time for decisive action is now.”
