Nigeria's Rabe Abubakar: Retired general abducted with wife in north-west

Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar's kidnapping 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 from his car on Saturday while travelling in Katsina state.

Efforts are now under way to rescue the couple and track down their captors, military spokesman Gen Michael Onoja told the BBC.

The kidnapping 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.