Retired Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari was laid to rest in his hometown in Katsina State on Saturday evening amid grief and emotional scenes.
Among those who attended the funeral were Vice President Kashim Shettima, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and several prominent politicians and dignitaries.
Earlier on Saturday, the Katsina State Government confirmed the death of the retired military officer, stating that he died from complications related to diabetes while in the custody of kidnappers.
The late General’s burial drew sympathizers from across the country, with mourners paying tribute to his service and expressing sorrow over the circumstances surrounding his death.
Major General Rabe Abubakar was one of Nigeria most recognisable military communicators whose career spanned nearly three decades.
Widely known as for his tenure as Director of Defence Information (DDI), Abubakar served as the chief spokesperson for the Nigerian Armed forces during the administration of former president Muhammadu Buhari between 2015 and 2017.
Born on April 7, 1965, in the Batsari area of Katsina State, Abubakar’s northern upbringing laid the foundation for a distinguished trajectory of public service. After earning a Bachelor of Arts in History, he complemented his academic roots with extensive global military training, including the Company Amphibious Course and strategic leadership programmes at the National Defence College of China.
Commissioned as a Second Lieutenant into the Nigerian Army in 1989, Abubakar steadily built a reputation for tactical precision and effective strategic communication. an early milestone came in 2008, when as a Lieutenant Colonel, he was appointed coordinator of the Joint Media Campaign Center under the Joint Task Force’s Operation Restore Hope in the Niger Delta. There, he skillfully managed media relations and volatile militancy and attacks on critical oil infrastructure.
His adept handling of crises led to a series of strategic appointments, including Commandant of the Nigeria Army School of Public Relations and Information in Lagos, and Executive Director of Corporate Affairs at Nigerian Army Welfare Limited. In August 2015, he succeeded Major General Chris Olukolade as DDI, stepping into the national spotlight at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency.
Even after his retirement from active service, Abubakar remained a vital and respected voice in national conversations surrounding security, intelligence and governance.
Beyond the uniform, Abubakar was a deeply devoted family man who fiercely guarded his private life. Colleagues uniformly described him as a disciplined, articulate officer unconditionally committed to public service. An advocate for continuous learning and physical fitness, he found solace outside the war room in jogging, badminton and reading.