The tragic death of retired General Michael Iriase, who was kidnapped two weeks ago from his farm in Benue State, has laid bare the deepening security crisis in Nigeria. The general, 68, died of a heart attack in captivity, according to a statement from the Defence Headquarters. But his family and local leaders say his death was avoidable, a direct result of the military’s failure to act on intelligence and negotiate effectively.
Iriase was abducted on the night of 14 July, when gunmen stormed his poultry farm in Makurdi. The assailants demanded a ransom of N150 million, later reduced to N80 million. Despite several pleas from the family, security forces failed to locate the general’s hideout. On Wednesday, his body was discovered in a shallow grave near the town of Gboko, with evidence of a heart attack caused by stress and neglect.
“He was a man of the people, a war hero who fought for this country. And he died alone, in a hole in the ground,” said his son, Emmanuel Iriase, fighting back tears. “The government must answer for this.”
The military has yet to confirm how the general died, but sources within the security apparatus admit that the kidnapping was a “major intelligence gap”. The general’s farm had been under surveillance for weeks before the attack, and local vigilantes had warned the army of suspicious movements. Yet no additional troops were deployed. When the kidnappers called the family, security agents told them to “buy time” and promised to track the calls. The tracking failed.
This is not an isolated incident. In the past 12 months, over 40 retired officers have been kidnapped in the North Central and North West regions. Most are released after ransom payments, but some are killed. The government’s policy of “no ransom” has been ignored in practice, and families are often forced to sell land and borrow money to secure their loved ones’ lives.
Human rights groups have condemned the military’s response. “The death of General Iriase is a symptom of a system that has lost control,” said Amara Nwosu, director of the Centre for Security and Civil Liberties in Abuja. “The military is overstretched, poorly equipped, and riddled with corruption. The government’s focus on power lines and roads means nothing when a retired general can be snatched from his farm and no one can find him.”
The president has ordered an investigation, but few expect meaningful change. For the people of Benue, the death of General Iriase is a bitter reminder that no one is safe. Not the rich, not the poor, not even those who once commanded battalions. As his body was laid to rest on Friday, the cries of his widow echoed across the dusty hills: “If they cannot protect a general, what hope is there for the rest of us?”
