Edo Gov Okpebholo Orders Probe Into Benin Vegetable Market Kidnapping

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has condemned the kidnapping incident that occurred on Sunday at the Vegetable Market along Airport Road, Benin City, describing it as unacceptable and a direct attack on innocent residents.

In a statement issued on Monday by his media aide, Patrick Ebojele, the governor directed the Edo State Police Command to immediately launch a swift and coordinated investigation into the incident, with orders to secure the rescue of the victim and apprehend those responsible.

The governor also warned that his administration would not tolerate any act capable of threatening public safety or disrupting peace in the state.

“I strongly condemn this act of kidnapping and I call on the Commissioner of Police to immediately open investigation into the matter,” Okpebholo said.

“As a government, we will not tolerate any act that threatens public safety and security or disturbs the peace of the state.”

He urged residents of Benin City and across Edo State to remain vigilant and report any suspicious movements or individuals to security agencies, stressing that timely information remains critical to ongoing operations.

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Okpebholo further assured that the state government would not relent until those behind the attack are tracked down, arrested, and prosecuted.

According to reports, the incident occurred when a woman was abducted while shopping at one of the stores within the busy Vegetable Market. A viral video circulating on social media showed the moment the victim was forcibly taken away, sparking panic among traders and residents.

Security sources say preliminary investigations have begun, with operatives working to track the kidnappers and review intelligence from the scene to aid rescue efforts.

Kidnapping incidents have continued to raise concern in parts of Edo State, prompting renewed calls for stronger security presence around markets, highways, and public spaces in Benin City.

Authorities say further updates will be provided as investigations progress.

Edo Gov Okpebholo Orders Probe Into Benin Vegetable Market Kidnapping

Late Gen. Rabe’s Son Denies Claim Father Had Diabetes, Says Mother Still in Captivity

KATSINA, Nigeria — Fresh contradictions have emerged over the death of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar as one of his sons, Isyaka Rabe, publicly dismissed the Katsina State Government’s claim that his father died from complications of diabetes and hypertension.

In an emotional interview with Deutsche Welle (DW Hausa), Isyaka insisted the late General had no history of either condition and suggested the real cause may have been a snake bite — visible from the last video released by his abductors. He also delivered a stark update on his mother’s fate: contrary to social media rumors, Hajiya Amina Abubakar remains in captivity more than two weeks after the deadly abduction along a rural Katsina highway.

The Katsina State Government, through Commissioner for Internal Security Dr. Nasiru Mu’azu, announced on June 13, 2026, that the retired General died from diabetes and hypertension complications while held by bandits. But family members have rejected that narrative with unusual consistency. “Our father was not diabetic and did not suffer from hypertension,” Isyaka Rabe told DW. “In our view, it was a heart attack. But from the video, you could see his leg was swollen. Some people believe it was a snakebite. Only Allah knows the true cause.” His sister, Adda Abubakar, earlier posted on X (formerly Twitter) handle @Addahaleem, insisting: “My father did not suffer from diabetes. A snake bite was the actual cause of his death.”

The late General and his wife were abducted on May 30, 2026, along the Marabar Musawa–Kafinsoli Road in Matazu Local Government Area of Katsina State. Their vehicle was ambushed near Zakin Baure village, the driver was shot and wounded, and the bandits later released a four-minute video showing the couple in captivity. In the video, captors demanded the release of three detained fighters and the return of seized livestock. That same video showed the retired General with a severely swollen leg — which the family now points to as evidence of a snake bite, not chronic illness.

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Perhaps the most urgent update from the family concerns Hajiya Amina Abubakar. Social media had been flooded with claims that the elderly widow had been freed. Isyaka Rabe set the record straight: “Whoever says she has been released — I, Isyaka Rabe, son of Major General Rabe — I say that is a lie. She has not been released. Right now, she is still in their custody.” Security sources confirm that rescue efforts are ongoing, but no official timeline has been given. A bandit leader identified as Kachalla Muhammad reportedly claimed in an audio message that he had suspended release plans due to increased security operations in the area.

The late General was buried on June 13, 2026 in Katsina according to Islamic rites, attended by family members, senior military officers, and government officials. But his daughter, Khadija Rabe Abubakar, captured the family’s lingering grief: “We buried our father without our mother by our side. That pain is indescribable. Every day she remains in captivity deepens our trauma.” When asked how the body was recovered, Isyaka directed questions back to the government: “When I announced the time for my father’s funeral prayer, many people asked how the body was recovered. I told them I did not know — they should direct such questions to the government.”

President Bola Tinubu has expressed sorrow over the General’s death, while the Defence Headquarters pledged to intensify operations against bandits in Katsina and surrounding states. However, the state government has not yet responded to the family’s public rejection of its diabetes-and-hypertension claim.

Late Gen. Rabe’s Son Denies Claim Father Had Diabetes, Says Mother Still in Captivity

Abdulsalami Reveals Why Ojukwu Rejected Gowon as Nigeria’s Leader

Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), has shed fresh light on the events that led to the outbreak of the Nigerian Civil War, revealing that late Biafran leader Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu refused to recognise General Yakubu Gowon as Nigeria’s Head of State because he believed military hierarchy had been disregarded following the assassination of Major General Johnson Aguiyi-Ironsi.

The revelation is contained in Abdulsalami’s autobiography, “Call of Duty,” which was unveiled in Abuja during activities marking his 84th birthday.

In the memoir, the former military leader provides a detailed account of the political tensions, ethnic divisions and military intrigues that plunged Nigeria into one of the darkest periods in its history.

According to Abdulsalami, the roots of the crisis can be traced to the January 15, 1966 coup, led by Major Kaduna Nzeogwu and other young military officers. The coup resulted in the deaths of several prominent political and military leaders, including Prime Minister Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, Northern Premier Sir Ahmadu Bello, and Western Region Premier Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola.

He explained that the killings created widespread resentment in Northern Nigeria, where many perceived the coup as being targeted against northern political leaders.

“There were complaints about the reported hubris over the killing of the northern leaders. Some Northern officers also complained that Igbos were being promoted above others in the military,” Abdulsalami wrote.

The situation rapidly deteriorated as anti-Igbo sentiments spread across parts of Northern Nigeria. Violent riots broke out in cities such as Kano, Kaduna and Jos, leading to the deaths of many Igbos and the destruction of homes and businesses belonging to easterners.

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The unrest eventually culminated in the July 1966 counter-coup, during which Head of State Aguiyi-Ironsi was overthrown and killed by northern military officers.

Following Ironsi’s death, Yakubu Gowon emerged as Nigeria’s new military leader. However, Abdulsalami said Ojukwu strongly opposed Gowon’s emergence, insisting that military tradition and hierarchy had not been followed.

According to him, Ojukwu maintained that Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe, who was then the Chief of Staff, Supreme Headquarters and the most senior military officer after Ironsi, should have succeeded the slain Head of State.

“Lt. Colonel Emeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, the Governor of the Eastern Region, refused to recognise the new Head of State, insisting that in the absence or death of Aguiyi-Ironsi, the next in command was Brigadier Babafemi Ogundipe,” Abdulsalami stated.

The disagreement deepened political tensions between the Federal Military Government and the Eastern Region, with Ojukwu refusing to pledge loyalty to Gowon’s administration.

As the crisis worsened, thousands of Igbos fled Northern Nigeria and returned to the East amid fears for their safety. Retaliatory attacks were also reported in parts of Eastern Nigeria, further escalating ethnic divisions.

Abdulsalami noted that several attempts were made to resolve the crisis through dialogue. One of the most significant efforts was the Aburi Accord, held in Ghana in January 1967, where regional leaders sought a political solution to the growing conflict.

However, disagreements over the interpretation and implementation of the agreement ultimately derailed the peace process.

With negotiations failing and political tensions reaching a boiling point, Ojukwu declared the secession of the Eastern Region on May 30, 1967, creating the Republic of Biafra.

“On 30 May 1967, Ojukwu announced that Igbos would leave Nigeria for good to form their own country. He felt they were being victimised and marginalised in Nigeria and that the only solution was to secede,” Abdulsalami recalled.

The declaration triggered the Nigerian Civil War, which lasted from July 1967 to January 1970 and remains one of the deadliest conflicts in Africa’s post-colonial history.

Reflecting on the war decades later, Abdulsalami expressed the belief that the conflict could have been avoided.

“To this day, I believe that the Civil War, like most other conflicts in life, could have been prevented,” he wrote.

“I feel that rising tempers, anger and the cycle of retaliations didn’t leave room for understanding and reconciliation.”

The former military ruler said Nigeria was fortunate to survive the conflict and eventually reconcile as one nation, stressing the importance of learning from the painful lessons of the war.

Abdulsalami also recounted one of the most traumatic experiences of his military career during the conflict. He described the battle for Awka and Onitsha as among the fiercest encounters of the war, revealing that federal troops suffered heavy casualties following a tactical miscalculation after capturing Onitsha in February 1968.

According to him, commanders believed victory was near and moved troops, vehicles and ammunition in a manner that exposed them to a devastating Biafran counterattack involving rocket fire and bombardment.

“Our vehicles caught fire. The tankers supplying us with fuel for our operational vehicles also exploded. It was a most terrifying scene. Many soldiers died. I was lucky to escape,” he wrote.

The memoir offers a rare insider perspective on the events that shaped the Nigerian Civil War, the tensions between Ojukwu and Gowon, and the decisions that ultimately altered the course of Nigeria’s history.

Abdulsalami Reveals Why Ojukwu Rejected Gowon as Nigeria’s Leader