Rabe Abubakar: Kidnapped Nigerian retired general dies in captivity

Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar's death highlights continuing security challenges facing parts of the country.

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Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar, who had a high-profile job as military spokesman between 2015 and 2017, was abducted with his wife while travelling in Katsina state last month.

No group has said it was behind the kidnappings.

The abduction and death of Abubakar highlights the continuing security challenges facing parts of north-west Nigeria, where criminal gangs known locally as "bandits" frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom, as well as cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities.

Some militant jihadists have also operated in the region. An alleged militant camp in Sokoto state was the target of a US airstrike on 25 December last year.