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One of the sons of the late Major General Rabe Abubakar has rejected claims that the retired military officer died from complications linked to diabetes and hypertension while in captivity.
Speaking in an interview with Deutsche Welle on Sunday, his son, Isyaka Rabe, said his father had no history of either illness and described reports suggesting otherwise as inaccurate.
“I truly don’t believe it was diabetes. In our view, it was a heart attack. If you look at it, his legs were restrained. Moreover, some people said that he was walking, and he didn’t die, so God knows, since only God is the knower,” he said.
Isyaka noted that some people who watched the last video released by the kidnappers had speculated that the retired general may have died from a snakebite but stressed that the actual cause of death remains unknown.
He described his father as a deeply religious and peace-loving man who lived a simple life and died a hero.
The late general was abducted alongside his wife on May 30 while travelling in Katsina State.
Isyaka also dismissed reports circulating on social media that his mother had regained her freedom, insisting that she remains in the custody of the kidnappers.
“Whoever says she has been released, I, Isyaka Rabe, son of Major General Rabe, say that is a lie; she has not been released. Right now, she is still in their custody,” he stated.
When asked about how the family recovered the general’s body, Isyaka said he had no information on the circumstances surrounding its retrieval.
Recall that on June 6, the kidnappers released a video demanding the release of three detained fighters and the return of livestock allegedly seized during security operations as conditions for freeing the couple.
The Katsina State Government confirmed the retired general’s death on Saturday, describing it as a tragic loss to the state and the nation. The government said he died from complications of diabetes and hypertension.
Also, President Bola Tinubu has expressed sorrow over the death, while the Defence Headquarters pledged to intensify efforts to bring those responsible to justice.
