Nigerian retired general abducted with his wife in the north-west

Maj Gen Rabe Abubakar, a retired senior Nigerian military officer, was abducted with his wife on Saturday in Katsina state. He was abducted from his car while travelling.

Gen Michael Onoja, a military spokesman, told the BBC that efforts are now under way to rescue the couple and track down their captors. The kidnapping highlights the continuing security challenges facing parts of north-west Nigeria, where criminal gangs known locally as "bandits" frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom, as well as cattle rustling and attacks on rural communities. An alleged militant camp in Sokoto state was the target of a US airstrike on 25 December last year. No group has said it was behind Saturday's abduction and the army is still waiting for the kidnappers to contact the family, the army said.

Local reports say the retired general was travelling to Katsina for a wedding when gunmen attacked his vehicle. Abubakar's driver reportedly escaped despite being hit by gunfire, while the former military spokesman and his wife were taken away by the attackers into a nearby forested area. On Friday, armed men reportedly raided Kiliya village in Dutsinma Local Government Area, killing at least 16 people.