By Mary Izuaka

 

The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has described the killing of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar by kidnappers as a “national tragedy” and fresh proof that Nigeria’s security crisis is deepening.

Mr Obi, in a statement posted on his X handle on Saturday, said he received the news of the retired general’s death “with deep shock and sadness.”

Mr Abubakar, who served in the Nigerian Armed Forces and retired after years of meritorious service, reportedly died on Saturday while in the custody of the terrorists who kidnapped him on 30 May in Katsina.

Mr Obi described his death as “particularly painful” and “a sobering indictment of the insecurity that has engulfed our country.”

“I received with deep shock and sadness the tragic death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, who reportedly died while in the custody of kidnappers. Earlier, before this heartbreaking news, I also received disturbing reports of renewed bandit attacks in Sokoto and Kwara States,” he said.

According to him, the armed bandits reportedly blocked a market route in Sokoto and abducted traders, while terrorists invaded communities in Kwara State, kidnapping scores of citizens, stressing that the killing of innocent people is heartbreaking and alarming.

“These incidents are not isolated tragedies; they are clear manifestations of the deepening security crisis confronting our nation. But particularly painful is the reported death of Major General Rabe Abubakar, a distinguished military officer who dedicated a significant part of his life to defending Nigeria and protecting its citizens.

“It is tragic that a man who served his fatherland with honour, rose through the ranks of the Nigerian Armed Forces, and retired after years of meritorious service, would meet such a heartbreaking end at the hands of criminal elements. His death is a national tragedy and a sobering indictment of the insecurity that has engulfed our country.

“When traders can no longer travel safely to markets, farmers cannot access their farms, communities live under constant fear, and even retired senior military officers are not spared from the menace of kidnapping and violent crime, it becomes evident that our nation is facing a grave security emergency,” he said.

Mr Obi said security remains the foremost responsibility of any government.

“Every life lost, every citizen abducted, and every community displaced represent a painful failure of our collective duty to protect the Nigerian people. The recurring attacks in Sokoto, Kwara, and many other parts of the country demonstrate that insecurity is not only persisting but spreading in both scope and intensity.”

He urged the federal government and the security agencies to move beyond rhetoric and adopt a more proactive, intelligence-driven, technology-based, and coordinated approach to tackling insecurity.

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“We must strengthen our security architecture, improve intelligence gathering, secure our borders, equip and motivate our security personnel, and ensure that those responsible for these heinous crimes are apprehended and brought to justice.”

He added that a nation where citizens live in fear cannot prosper.

“A nation where economic activities are disrupted daily by criminal elements cannot attract investment, create jobs, or guarantee a better future for its people. We must urgently reclaim every part of our country from terrorists, bandits, kidnappers, and all criminal gangs threatening our collective existence.

“My heartfelt condolences go to the family of Major General Rabe Abubakar, his former colleagues in the Armed Forces, and all Nigerians who have lost loved ones to insecurity. I also sympathise with the families of those killed, those abducted, and the affected communities in Sokoto, Kwara, and across the nation,” he said.

He noted that the recurring tragedies and embarrassing security failures “we continue to witness make the quest for a New Nigeria not only necessary but inevitable.

“We must build a nation where every citizen can live, work, travel, and pursue legitimate economic activities without fear,” he said.