Katsina Bandits Reject Cash Ransom, Demand Prisoner Exchange for Abducted Retired General

Bandit leader Kachallah Muhammad, who orchestrated the May 30 abduction of retired Major General Rabe Abubakar Batsari and his wife in Matazu LGA, Katsina State, formally rejected any cash ransom and demanded instead the release of jailed gang members from Nigerian prison custody. The demand, relayed through the family by June 3, represented an escalation in bandit negotiation tactics — shifting from purely financial demands to political prisoner-exchange conditions. Defence Headquarters confirmed awareness of the situation but did not disclose operational details. The case heightened national debate over the government's counterbanditry strategy in the Northwest and the apparent inability of security forces to prevent high-profile abductions.