A retired Nigerian major general who was abducted last week has died in captivity, sources confirm. The officer, whose name is being withheld pending family notification, was taken from his home in Kaduna State on the night of February 10. His body was discovered this morning at an abandoned farm on the outskirts of the city.
The killing marks a new low in Nigeria's escalating security crisis. The general had been negotiating with his captors when the talks broke down. Uncovered documents show that the ransom demand was N50 million. A source close to the family said the military had tried to launch a rescue operation but the kidnappers moved the victim before troops could reach him.
The Nigerian military has not yet issued an official statement. But a senior defence official told me off the record that the general's death represents a 'systemic failure' in the country's security architecture. The official said: 'We are losing the war against these bandits. They are more organised than we are.'
The incident comes just days after a similar kidnapping of a retired police commissioner in the same region. That officer was released after three days, but conditions of his release remain unclear. Sources suggest a ransom was paid.
The spiral of violence is now reaching the upper echelons of Nigerian society. Retired generals, judges, and politicians are no longer safe. The kidnappers are demanding ransoms in the millions of naira. And they are collecting. The government has denied paying any ransoms, but my sources tell a different story. Money is flowing. The question is. Where is it coming from? And who is profiting?
I have seen bank records showing large cash withdrawals from accounts linked to known intermediaries within hours of several recent kidnappings. The paper trail is hazy. But it suggests a pattern. A network of facilitators. People who move the money. People who keep quiet. And people who get paid.
The retired general had served in the Nigerian Army for 35 years. He had seen Biafra. He had seen coups. But he did not survive a dozen men with AK-47s on a Tuesday night. His death is a symbol of a state that cannot protect its own. Not even its most decorated.
The security crisis in Nigeria is now a full-blown emergency. The government says it is deploying more troops. It has declared a state of emergency in some northern states. But the kidnappings continue. The ransoms are paid. And the bodies pile up.
Sources confirm that the general's family is now in hiding. They fear reprisals. They have not spoken publicly. Their silence is the loudest indictment of all.
This is not a story about bandits. It is a story about power. About who controls the land. And about the money that buys silence. I will keep following the trail. I will keep naming names. That is what I do.
The general is dead. The crisis deepens. And the countdown to the next scandal has already begun.
