The rescue comes days after the retired Major General passed away while still in the custody of the kidnappers. He has since been buried.

According to a statement released on Monday by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Samaila Uba, the breakthrough followed intensified search-and-rescue operations conducted by troops of Operation FASAN YAMMA.

Military officials disclosed that advancing troops made contact with the bandits at Tunga Village during a sustained offensive aimed at mounting pressure on the criminal elements.

In an attempt to escape the overwhelming military pressure, the bandits shot Mrs. Abubakar before abandoning her at the scene and fleeing.

Following her recovery, Mrs. Abubakar was immediately evacuated to a military hospital. The statement noted that she is currently receiving medical attention and is responding to treatment.

The leadership of the Armed Forces of Nigeria reiterated its commitment to ensuring her full recovery and confirmed that the military is providing all necessary support to the grieving family during this difficult period.

The military also vowed to maintain its momentum against criminal networks, stating that troops will continue ongoing operations to track down and neutralize the perpetrators while intensifying efforts to rid affected communities of terrorists in Katsina State and across the nation.

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The handover followed separate investigations into two major cases involving stolen public funds belonging to the state.

In the first case, the Commission recovered ₦547,015,389.00 ( Five Hundred and Forty Seven Million, Fifteen Thousand, Three Hundred and Eighty Nine Naira) following a petition from the Katsina State Government regarding the criminal diversion of nearly ₦1.3 billion in statutory tax remittances.

The funds, which originated from international organizations including the World Health Organization (WHO), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and ALIMA, were systematically diverted into a private bank account by six Board of Internal Revenue Service (BOIRS) personnel and three bank employees. Following the investigation, 12 suspects were charged to court. Six of the suspects have already been convicted after pleading guilty, while the remaining six are currently standing trial at the Katsina State High Court.

In the second case, the Commission recovered ₦290,470,000.00 ( Two Hundred and Ninety Million, Four Hundred and Seventy Thousand Naira) traced to a systemic fraud uncovered by a 2021 intelligence report. The investigation revealed that former Sub-Treasurer, Sani Lawal BK and former Deputy Sub-Treasurer Saadu Maiwada in the office of the Accountant General of Katsina State colluded and diverted the sum to their personal companies through unauthorized, substantial cash withdrawals from the Katsina State Sub-Treasury Expenditure Account. Investigation also revealed that no services were rendered, nor any contracts awarded to warrant the withdrawals.

The suspects had since been charged to court and arraigned on July 11, 2023 on offences bordering on money laundering and misappropriation of funds in both Federal and State High Courts. Trials have commenced and witnesses are testifying before the courts.

The handover ceremony took place at the Kano Zonal Directorate, where the Zonal Director, Assistant Commander of the EFCC, ACE1Friday S. Ebelo, presented the recovered funds to Dr. Kabir Abdullahi Yantumaki, Executive Director of Standard and Compliance, Katsina State Internal Revenue Service.

Speaking during the ceremony, Ebelo reiterated the Commission’s unwavering commitment to ensuring that public funds are protected and that individuals entrusted with their management are held accountable. He noted that the recovery was a result of painstaking investigative work by the hardworking officers of the Commission. He also urged the Katsina State Government to utilize the recovered funds judiciously for the benefit of Katsina State citizens.

“This money belongs to the people of Katsina State, and I will urge that same be used for the betterment of the people of Katsina State,” he said. He urged public officials to adhere to due process and warned that the EFCC would continue to track all forms of financial malfeasance.

Receiving the drafts, Yantumaki expressed gratitude to the EFCC for its diligence and professionalism. He assured that the recovered funds would be properly channeled into the state’s consolidated revenue account for the benefit of citizens.

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Security forces are already on the trail of the criminals, and no stone will be left unturned until they are apprehended and held accountable for their actions. The Government assures Nigerians that justice will be swift and decisive, and that such acts of terror will never be allowed to take root in the country.

The Federal Government condemns this wanton act of violence in the strongest terms. This is not only an assault on the people of Malumfashi but also on our shared humanity and values as a nation.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu extends his deepest condolences to the families of the deceased, the people of Malumfashi, and the Katsina State Government. Their grief is our grief, and the Government stands with them at this dark hour. May the Almighty grant the departed eternal rest and console the bereaved with the fortitude to bear this painful loss.

Only recently, as part of the government efforts to bring terrorists to their knees, Nigeria’s National Counter-Insurgency Centre (NCTC) announced the arrest of top leaders of a savage group of terrorists, including Mahmud al-Nigeri of the Mahmuda group, and his deputy, Abu Abba, alongside Mahmud Muhammad Usman (Abu Baraa) of the Ansaru group. The terrorist leaders, now conveniently in the net, were on the international wanted list.

The arrests of the terrorist leaders are an indication of the successes being recorded by Nigeria’s counter terrorism operations as directed by President Tinubu, who has made it very clear that acts of terrorism against the Nigerian state and its citizens will soon be a spectre of the past.   

The Federal Government, therefore, reiterates that those who shed innocent blood will find no hiding place in Nigeria.

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