Badeh’s killing not political, says investigative panel

The joint investigative panel set up to probe the death of Alex Badeh, former chief of defence staff, says the killing has not political undertone.

Bamidele Shafa, leader of the panel, disclosed this while parading 15 suspects alleged to be involved in the crime, at the Mogadishu cantonment in Abuja, on Wednesday.

The panel was set up by Gabriel Olonisakin, chief of defence staff.

Badeh had died from gunshot wounds sustained in an attack while returning from his farm along Abuja-Keffi road in December 2018.

Shafa said after the panel’s investigation, 20 suspects were arrested in connection with the crime but 15 were being paraded for their “direct action” in the killing.

He said the suspects were grouped into key suspects, circumstantial suspects, and accomplices.

He noted that the panel visited the scene of the incident, searched the homes of the suspects where one AK-47 rifle, one dane gun, and other weapons were recovered.

“The attack and killing of air chief marshal Alex Badeh on 18 December 2018, was criminal and does not have any political undertone,” Shafa said.

“The 15 suspects in custody confessed to their direct involvement in the crime. The suspects employed automatic weapons and locally-made guns in the attack and killing of air chief marshal Alex Badeh.

“This was buttressed by the result of the autopsy examination and weapons recovered from the residence of the suspects.”

He listed some of the arrested suspects as Aliyu Usman, “ring leader of the gang”; Shuaibu Rabo, second in command; Yahaya Nuhu and Alhaji Lamido Tahara, as third in command.

Shafa added that the suspects also admitted to having kidnapped one Joseph Okpetu, an engineer who was with the late Badeh, and received N2 million as ransom before his release.