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By Lawrence Agbo
Security analyst and lawyer Bulama Bukarti has warned that the killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar while in the custody of bandits reflects a deepening and nationwide spread of insecurity in Nigeria.
Bukarti made the remarks on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he assessed the implications of the incident and the broader security situation in the country.
He said the development underscores a troubling reality in which no Nigerian, regardless of rank or background, is immune from the activities of armed criminal groups.
Describing the incident as “a big shocker,” Bukarti said the killing of a former senior military officer highlights serious gaps in Nigeria’s security response system.
“If a retired military general and former spokesperson of the Nigerian Army could be abducted, held for about two weeks and eventually killed, it tells us that no Nigerian is safe,” he said.
He noted that the circumstances of the abduction reflect the growing boldness and operational reach of criminal gangs across the country.
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According to him, the retired general was kidnapped on a public highway in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, rather than in a remote forest, demonstrating how insecurity has expanded into civilian spaces.
Bukarti further stated that the kidnappers openly publicised the abduction and engaged authorities in negotiations, a development he said shows their increasing audacity.
“They publicly paraded him on television and social media and openly negotiated with the government, demanding the release of their members in exchange for him,” he said.
He warned that such actions are intended to instil fear among citizens and weaken confidence in government institutions.
Bukarti added that the inability to rescue the retired officer before his killing reflects an escalating security crisis that is now nationwide in scope.
“What was once confined to the North-East has spread to the North-West, the North-Central, and now the South-West. Nigeria’s security threat is now a national problem rather than a regional one,” he said.
The Katsina State Government had earlier confirmed the death of Major General Rabe Abubakar, a former spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, after he was abducted and held by armed bandits.
