A notorious bandit leader identified as Kachalla Muhammadu has reportedly confirmed that former military spokesperson, Major General Rabe Abubakar (Rtd.), is currently being held captive under his command at their hideout.

Kachalla Muhammadu, who was previously said to have participated in a government-backed peace arrangement with armed groups operating in the North-West, allegedly disclosed details of the operation in a voice message obtained by sources familiar with the matter.

According to multiple sources, Kachalla Muhammadu is from the Nasarawar Yamma area under Karaduwa District, located north of the Sayaya junction, an area also widely known as Sabon Sara.

Sources familiar with the development said the bandit leader confirmed that Rabe Abubakar is still alive and in good condition in captivity.

“General Rabe Abubakar is with them and he is healthy,” one of the sources quoted Kachalla Muhammadu as saying in the voice message.

The development has heightened fears over the growing sophistication of bandit operations in parts of Northern Nigeria, especially following claims that the senior military officer had been under surveillance long before the abduction was carried out.

According to the sources, Kachalla Muhammadu disclosed that his gang had been monitoring the movements of the retired general since he was in Kaduna, allegedly receiving detailed information regarding his movements and the times he usually departed his residence.

The sources said Kachalla further explained that the gang had initially planned to abduct the officer around the Musawa junction, a strategic area where the road divides into two separate routes, one leading toward Musawa and the other toward Gidan Mutum Daya.

According to the account attributed to him, the armed group expected retired General Rabe Abubakar to follow the route heading toward Gidan Mutum Daya.

However, events reportedly took a different turn when the retired general eventually chose the Musawa–Matazu Road.

“Kachalla said when the retired general reached the junction, instead of taking the Gidan Mutum Daya road as they anticipated, he proceeded through the Musawa–Matazu axis. That was where they intercepted him and successfully carried out the abduction,” one of the sources disclosed.

The latest revelation attributed to Kachalla Muhammadu has further fuelled suspicions of a coordinated conspiracy surrounding the abduction, particularly because of the alleged claim that the retired general’s movements had been tracked from Kaduna before the attack occurred.

On May 30, 2026, SaharaReporters exclusively reported tha Rabe Abubakar and his wife had been abducted by bandits along the Matazu axis of Katsina State. 

According to information obtained by SaharaReporters, the retired senior military officer and his wife were travelling to Katsina State when armed assailants intercepted them and whisked them away last week Saturday. 

Sources familiar with the incident told SaharaReporters that the abduction occurred within Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State, a region that has witnessed repeated attacks by armed criminal groups in recent years. 

A source said the retired general's driver managed to escape from the scene despite sustaining a gunshot wound during the attack. 

The source further disclosed that the vehicle involved in the incident, described as a red Peugeot 504 assigned to the senior officer, was later recovered and later parked at the Matazu Divisional Headquarters of the Nigeria Police Force.