The rescue of Hajiya Amina Abubakar, wife of the late retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, was one of the most dramatic and high-risk operations carried out by troops in the ongoing fight against banditry in Katsina State.
According to fresh accounts from sources close to the operation and reported by Daily Trust, the military had been tracking the bandits’ movements for days. However, what should have been a well-coordinated rescue mission nearly turned into another tragedy when the bandits suddenly became alert and attempted to escape with the General’s wife just as troops were closing in.
The Tense Final Hours
After General Rabe died in captivity, the bandits became visibly uneasy. They knew that holding the wife of a retired general would attract massive military attention. In a desperate move, they decided to relocate her from their main camp deeper into the forest.
Hajiya Amina was mounted on a motorcycle with one of the bandits. As they sped through the thick bushes, the sound of approaching military vehicles and gunfire suddenly filled the air. The bandits had clearly been tipped off that troops were moving in on their position.
Security sources believe someone with inside knowledge of the operation may have alerted the kidnappers at the last minute. The bandits’ sudden decision to flee with the General’s wife, instead of abandoning her, strongly suggests they received real-time information about the advancing troops.
The Dramatic Escape and Shooting
As the military team drew closer, panic set in among the kidnappers. The bandit riding with Hajiya Amina reportedly stopped abruptly, pushed her off the motorcycle, and shot her in the thigh at close range before fleeing into the bush.
She lay bleeding heavily on the ground, unable to move. For several agonising minutes, she was left alone in the forest as the sound of gunfire and shouting echoed around her.
A local resident who later emerged as a good Samaritan found her and attempted to help. When troops eventually arrived at the scene, the man initially fled in fear but later returned to assist the soldiers. The troops used a plank to carry the injured woman through the difficult terrain to their vehicle and rushed her to safety.
Watch the video of her rescue below;
The Tip-Off Suspicion
The most disturbing aspect of the operation, according to sources, is how the bandits appeared to have been warned just in time. Security operatives had been conducting surveillance and were confident they had the element of surprise. Yet the kidnappers moved the General’s wife and attempted to escape moments before the troops arrived.
This has raised serious questions within security circles about possible leaks or sabotage. Investigations are reportedly ongoing to determine how the bandits got wind of the rescue mission at such short notice.
A Narrow Escape
Despite the last-minute complications, troops were able to rescue Hajiya Amina alive. She sustained a gunshot wound to the thigh but was stabilised and later transferred to Abuja for further treatment.
The operation, though ultimately successful in rescuing the General’s wife, has left many questions unanswered — chief among them being how the bandits knew the military was closing in on them.
For now, Hajiya Amina is receiving medical care, while security agencies continue their manhunt for the fleeing bandits and investigate the suspected tip-off that nearly cost her life.
The daring rescue has once again highlighted both the bravery of Nigerian troops and the growing sophistication of bandit networks, who now appear capable of receiving real-time intelligence on military movements.
Source: Daily Trust, Security sources and X post updates on the operation.
