The Joint Investigation Panel constituted by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Gabriel Olonisakin to investigate the gruesome murder of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh has said that the killing was purely criminal without any political undertone.
Badeh was murdered on December 18, 2018 along Kachia-Keffi road while returning from his farm.
The panel, which comprised 27 members drawn from the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Nigerian Police Force, and the Department of State Service (DSS), disclosed this in Abuja while parading 15 out of 20 suspects directly involved in the crime.
The team leader of the investigation panel, Major General Bamidele Shafa said though 20 people were involved, the panel has arrested 15 suspects who are currently in custody, adding that the services are also trailing the remaining five.
Major General Shafa explaining how the panel came up with its findings said that the panel accepted 20 suspects earlier arrested by the services and obtained cautionary statements from them and cross examined them.
He said that the panel further categorized the suspects into key suspects, circumstantial suspects and accomplices, adding that those not directly involved in the case have since been released on the instructions of the convening authority.
Speaking further, he said the panel interviewed 36 witnesses, visited the scene of the incident, searched homes where one AK 47 rifle, one Dane gun and other dangerous weapons were recovered, conducted ballistic examination of associated fire arms, verified associated bank accounts and conducted autopsy of the deceased.
On the panel’s findings, Maj Gen Shafa said, “The attack and killing of Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd) on 18 December 2018,was criminal and does not have any political undertone.”
He added that “The 15 suspects in custody confessed to their direct involvement in the crime.”
Further findings revealed that “the suspects employed automatic weapons and locally made guns in the attack and killing of Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh and this was buttressed by the result of the autopsy examination and weapons recovered from the residence of the suspects.”
The suspects also admitted to have kidnapped one Engr Joseph Okpetu who was with the former CDS and received 2MN before releasing him.
Those arrested include Aliyu Usman aka Chiroma,35 a major suspect and ring leader of the gang,Shuaibu Rabo,25 identified as the second in command,Yahaya Nuhu ,18, Musa Muhammed aka Alhaji Lamido Tahara,45 years old and third in command.
