Atiku Abubakar blamed President Bola Tinubu for worsening insecurity after a retired general died in captivity and insurgents attacked Chibok on June 13, 2026.
The African Democratic Congress presidential candidate declared Sunday that Nigeria is losing hard-won gains against terrorism and banditry under Tinubu’s administration. His statement, released by his media office at approximately midday, named two events that occurred within hours of each other on Saturday, June 13: the confirmed death of retired Major General Abubakar Rabe in bandit captivity in Katsina State and a fresh insurgent assault on Kautikari village in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.
Two crises. One day. “It is with profound sadness and deep anger that we mourn the death of retired Major General Abubakar Rabe, a distinguished former Army Spokesperson and Director of Defence Information, who tragically passed away while in the captivity of bandits,” Atiku told reporters through the written statement.
Reports indicated that Rabe died after suffering complications from diabetes and hypertension while in captivity, as efforts to secure his freedom failed. Rabe was abducted on May 30, 2026, alongside his wife, who remains held by kidnappers in Katsina State. Sixteen days in captivity. No rescue.
The Chibok Attack: Schools Burned, Residents Fled
Terrorists suspected to be Boko Haram and ISWAP launched a fresh attack on Kautikari village Saturday evening, setting two schools ablaze, with the assault targeting Kautikari Primary School and Government Day Secondary School, both reportedly engulfed in flames as insurgents stormed the community. According to the Education Secretary of Chibok Local Government Area, Malah Kyari, the assailants targeted the junior secondary section of Government Day Secondary School. “I can confirm that the insurgents attacked the Kautikari community yesterday, killed one person, and set ablaze one block containing five classrooms and an office at Kautikari JSS,” Kyari stated in a written response.
The latest attack came only a few weeks after pupils from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in nearby Askira-Uba were abducted and held for almost a month before they were eventually released. Amnesty International Nigeria reported that terror groups abducted at least 1,100 people from northern states between January and April 2026 alone. The numbers keep climbing.
Atiku Insecurity Charge: A Nation That Cannot Protect Its Heroes
Atiku, in his Sunday statement, said the death of the former director of defense information exposes the ineffectiveness of the Tinubu administration’s approach to tackling insecurity and highlights the frightening reality that no Nigerian, regardless of status or service to the nation, is safe. “The symbolism is devastating.
A retired general who spent his life fighting for the security of Nigeria dies in the hands of criminals, while terrorists return to one of their most notorious trademarks, attacking schools and terrorizing communities in Borno State,” he noted during a press briefing arranged by his media team. But the presidency had not responded to Westtrybe’s request for comment as of 6:00 p.m. Sunday. And the Ministry of Defense released no statement on Rabe’s death by press time.
Atiku pointed out that as Nigerians mourned Rabe’s passing, terrorists were simultaneously attacking the Kautikari community in Chibok LGA and setting school facilities ablaze, adding: “Chibok is not just a location; it is a national scar. Since the abduction of more than 270 schoolgirls in April 2014, the name has become a symbol of pain, loss, and collective trauma.” Atiku extended condolences to Rabe’s family, prayed for the safe release of his wife and all Nigerians currently held captive, and urged the nation not to become numb to the daily tragedies unfolding across the country. His call for action over Tinubu’s handling of insecurity drew no immediate government rebuttal by the time this report was filed at 7:30 p.m. Sunday from Abuja’s Central Business District. Nobody came to the microphone.
