The rescue of Amina Abubakar followed intensified search-and-rescue efforts conducted by troops, the army said
The wife of a retired Nigerian army general who had been kidnapped alongside her husband by gunmen in the country's north-west has been rescued, the Nigerian army said.
Her husband, retired Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar, died from natural causes in captivity, according to the Katsina state government.
The couple was abducted while travelling in Katsina state last month. Days after the kidnapping, the abductors released a video showing the couple in captivity.
The operation to rescue Amina Abubakar followed intensified search-and-rescue efforts conducted by troops, the army said.
In a statement, it said troops made contact with the bandits at Tunga Village, leading to the successful rescue of the woman.
‘Greatest enemies’
Over the weekend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu vowed to defeat the country's "greatest enemies" following the couple's abduction.
President Tinubu expressed ''shock'' over the death of retired Major General Abubakar.
The late General Abubakar served in the Nigerian military from 1989, holding several high-ranking offices, including being the military’s spokesperson from 2015 to 2017, when he retired.
Katsina is one of several states in Nigeria worst affected by years of kidnappings for ransom by armed gangs. The kidnappers often target rural communities, travellers, and schools, seizing people for ransom.
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