“They Shot Me and Left Me to Die in the Forest” – General Rabe’s Wife Recounts Terrifying Escape from Bandits

The wife of late retired Major General Rabe Abubakar, Hajiya Amina, has recounted the terrifying moments she endured shortly after her husband’s death while in the custody of armed bandits, revealing how she was shot, abandoned in the forest, and left bleeding profusely before being rescued by soldiers.

According to sources familiar with her account, Hajiya Amina said the bandits were thrown into panic and confusion immediately after her husband’s death. The armed men reportedly rushed to organize their escape, bringing motorcycles and making frantic preparations to flee their hideout. She was placed on one of the motorcycles and taken away in a convoy as the kidnappers hurried through the forest to evade advancing troops.

In what appeared to be a deliberate move, the bandits focused their attention on her and made no attempt to evacuate several other captives who were being held at the location.

Hajiya Amina disclosed that while they were speeding through the forest, distant gunfire began to echo across the area. The sound reportedly triggered panic among the kidnappers, causing them to scatter in different directions rather than continue their journey together.

As confusion intensified, the gunman transporting her on a motorcycle reportedly became frustrated and exhausted. He stopped along the way, ordered her to get off the motorcycle, and, in a shocking act of brutality, shot her in the thigh before fleeing into the forest. The bullet wound left her bleeding heavily and unable to stand or walk.

Sources said she remained stranded in severe pain until a man from a nearby village stumbled upon her. After hearing her story, the man reportedly asked if she was the wife of General Rabe Abubakar. When she confirmed her identity, he attempted to assist her. However, as they spoke, gunfire was again heard from a nearby location, believed to be from soldiers combing the area in search of her. Fearing for his own safety, the villager fled, leaving her alone once more.

Moments later, troops arrived at the scene and discovered her lying in a pool of blood. According to the source, excitement and relief swept through the soldiers when they realized they had found the wife of the late General Rabe alive.

The villager who had initially found her later returned after the soldiers arrived. Lacking medical evacuation equipment, the troops reportedly sought his assistance. A wooden plank was improvised as a stretcher and used to carry Hajiya Amina to a military vehicle.

She was first taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment before being transferred to the Federal Medical Centre, Katsina, for further medical care. Medical assessments later revealed that the gunshot wound was not life-threatening. The bullet passed through the flesh of her upper thigh between the hip and knee without shattering any bone. Nevertheless, medical sources noted that the severe blood loss could have proved fatal had she not been rescued and treated in time.

Her account provides a chilling insight into the chaos that followed the death of her husband and highlights the dramatic rescue operation that ultimately saved her life from the brink of death.