On June 18, retired Army generals gathered in Katsina to bury their colleague, Rabe Abubakar, the latest senior military officer to fall at the feet of terrorists.
Their call for a “realistic and proactive response to insecurity” echoed a point this Editorial Board has repeatedly made: lethargic and reactive measures will not win Nigeria’s war against terror; only a deliberate, coordinated and sustained offensive can.
The latest consequence of this drift emerged on May 30 when bandits abducted a retired major-general, Abubakar, a former Defence Headquarters spokesman, and his wife while they were travelling in Katsina State.
The apparent ease with which a retired general was seized on a public road was troubling enough. That he later died in captivity made the episode even more disturbing.
Adding to the unease, the Katsina State Government declared, without presenting evidence, that Abubakar died from complications arising from diabetes and hypertension.
That claim raises serious questions. Was an autopsy conducted while he was in captivity?
Abubakar’s family promptly disputed the claim, insisting that the retired general had no history of either condition.
There are reports that his abductors delivered his remains to government officials. If that account is accurate, who received the body? Under what circumstances was it handed over? Most importantly, why were the perpetrators not apprehended?
These unanswered questions inevitably fuel concerns about negligence, collusion or the infiltration of state institutions by criminal elements.
Equally troubling is the fact that after security forces reportedly rescued Abubakar’s wife days later, no arrests were announced. The public deserves answers.
Nigeria is losing senior military officers to terrorists and insurgents at an alarming rate.
The optics are devastating.
If a retired general who once occupied one of the military’s most visible positions can be abducted on a public highway and die at the mercy of his captors, who then is safe?
Such incidents undermine public confidence in both government and the security agencies.
Within a few months, Nigeria has lost multiple senior officers to violent attacks.
Musa Uba, a brigadier-general, was tracked, captured and executed by Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State in November 2025. The circumstances of his death highlighted the growing audacity of insurgent groups.
The horror was repeated in April 2026 when Oseni Braimah, another brigadier-general, was captured and killed.
Nigeria failed them. It also failed the soldiers who served under them and relied on their leadership.
Sadly, these losses are not confined to generals. In March 2026 alone, two lieutenant-colonels, S. I. Iliyasu and Umar Farouk, were killed on the same day.
Over nearly two decades of counter-insurgency operations, thousands of Nigerian troops have paid the ultimate price, while many more have suffered life-altering injuries.
The deaths of senior officers carry an additional significance because they represent years of training, battlefield experience, institutional memory and strategic expertise.
Nigeria is not merely losing personnel. It is losing invaluable military knowledge.
Producing a general is a lengthy and expensive national investment. From the five-year programme at the Nigerian Defence Academy to command, staff and strategic courses, as well as specialised local and international training, the process spans decades.
Estimates suggest that developing a general can cost the country hundreds of millions. When such officers are lost to terrorists, Nigeria loses far more than a uniformed officer. It loses accumulated expertise that cannot be quickly replaced.
In advanced democracies, generals operating in conflict zones or high-risk environments receive extensive protection. Their movements are supported by air assets, drone surveillance, specialised intelligence teams, secure communications systems and heavily armoured vehicles. Every journey is carefully planned and continuously monitored.
In Nigeria, recent events lend weight to the growing perception that terrorists, insurgents and bandits are steadily gaining the upper hand.
On June 16, gunmen attacked the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Plateau State, killing three security operatives. The assault on one of Nigeria’s foremost leadership and policy institutions was deeply alarming.
In an August 25, 2021, attack on the Nigerian Defence Academy in Kaduna, gunmen killed two naval personnel and abducted an Army major who was released weeks later.
These are not ordinary institutions. NIPSS routinely hosts senior government officials, military officers, academics and policymakers. The NDA trains future military leaders.
Attacks on such institutions are, in effect, attacks on the Nigerian state itself.
Protecting generals and the troops they command is not a privilege; it is a strategic imperative. Every fallen commander weakens national capacity while strengthening the confidence of criminal forces.
Nigeria cannot continue to invest decades and vast public resources in developing military leaders only to leave them vulnerable to terrorists, insurgents and bandits.
The country owes its servicemen and women effective protection, better intelligence, stronger operational coordination and a security strategy capable of regaining the initiative.
No other general should fall at the feet of outlaws.
