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It became clearer on Wednesday that the assailants that killed former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh, overpowered the military operatives that gave him security backup and murdered the CDS who was their prime target.
This revelation was made by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) headquarters through Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), who spoke with Daily Independent in Abuja.
Daramola disclosed that the security backup of the murdered Air Chief Marshal actually engaged the assassins in a gun battle before they were overpowered, leading to the killing of their principal.
Daramola, however, did not reveal the number of operatives that gave security backup to the late CDS which made it possible for them to be overpowered by the assassins.
“He had his normal security details and men with him, and they engaged the miscreants in gunfire before they were overpowered,” the DOPRI stated.
He disclosed that every retired CDS was entitled to go with the full complement of security while leaving office, except for the pilot car.
The NAF’s spokesman, however, said the chief was at liberty to choose the number of operatives that he would like to be moving with at a time, depending on his convenience.
Sources told Daily Independent that the late CDS did not have sufficient number of operatives on his security backup, which explained why they were overpowered during the gun duel.
It was learnt that the late CDS was a very humble and modest person, who may have preferred to move with a reduced number of security operatives, which his killers might have studied over time before striking him.
The late Air Chief Marshal was said to be returning from his farm when he ran into the ambush that claimed his life on Tuesday, December 18, 2018.
In announcing his death, the NAF headquarters, through its spokesman on Tuesday, said: “It is with a heavy heart that I regretfully announce the unfortunate demise of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh, who died today, December 18, from gunshot wounds sustained when his vehicle was attacked while returning from his farm along Abuja-Keffi Road.”
Badeh was one CDS whose regime suffered controversies under former President Goodluck Jonathan, arising from arms deal scandal and Boko Haram invasion, to the certificate saga of President Muhammadu Buhari when he was to stand election in 2015.
Upon retirement, Badeh has been standing corruption trial by this administration and was said to be happily preparing to open his defence in court over all the charges preferred against him in the arms deal matter on January 16, 2019, before his unfortunate murder.
A visit to the Defence complex housing the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Army Headquarters (AHQ), Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), and Headquarters, Nigerian Navy (NN) on Wednesday saw officers and men wearing sad looks over the news of the murder.
The complex was unusually calm with the people having a sober reflection on how a four star General and immediate past CDS was killed in that manner.
Some of them who spoke with our correspondent on grounds of anonymity alleged that there were more to the stories that were being told over Badeh’s murder, alleging that it was a politically motivated killing.
When approached over what the military was doing to uncover the killers of Badeh, the Defence Headquarters, through the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig- Gen. John Agim, said it was police duty to uncover the killers of the CDS.
However, Air Commodore Daramola told our correspondent that NAF had commenced investigation in concert with other security agencies and would unravel the circumstances that led to his gruesome murder, as well as uncover the killers. (Daily Independent)
This revelation was made by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) headquarters through Air Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, the Director of Public Relations and Information (DOPRI), who spoke with Daily Independent in Abuja.
Daramola disclosed that the security backup of the murdered Air Chief Marshal actually engaged the assassins in a gun battle before they were overpowered, leading to the killing of their principal.
Daramola, however, did not reveal the number of operatives that gave security backup to the late CDS which made it possible for them to be overpowered by the assassins.
“He had his normal security details and men with him, and they engaged the miscreants in gunfire before they were overpowered,” the DOPRI stated.
He disclosed that every retired CDS was entitled to go with the full complement of security while leaving office, except for the pilot car.
The NAF’s spokesman, however, said the chief was at liberty to choose the number of operatives that he would like to be moving with at a time, depending on his convenience.
Sources told Daily Independent that the late CDS did not have sufficient number of operatives on his security backup, which explained why they were overpowered during the gun duel.
It was learnt that the late CDS was a very humble and modest person, who may have preferred to move with a reduced number of security operatives, which his killers might have studied over time before striking him.
The late Air Chief Marshal was said to be returning from his farm when he ran into the ambush that claimed his life on Tuesday, December 18, 2018.
In announcing his death, the NAF headquarters, through its spokesman on Tuesday, said: “It is with a heavy heart that I regretfully announce the unfortunate demise of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh, who died today, December 18, from gunshot wounds sustained when his vehicle was attacked while returning from his farm along Abuja-Keffi Road.”
Badeh was one CDS whose regime suffered controversies under former President Goodluck Jonathan, arising from arms deal scandal and Boko Haram invasion, to the certificate saga of President Muhammadu Buhari when he was to stand election in 2015.
Upon retirement, Badeh has been standing corruption trial by this administration and was said to be happily preparing to open his defence in court over all the charges preferred against him in the arms deal matter on January 16, 2019, before his unfortunate murder.
A visit to the Defence complex housing the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), Army Headquarters (AHQ), Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force (NAF), and Headquarters, Nigerian Navy (NN) on Wednesday saw officers and men wearing sad looks over the news of the murder.
The complex was unusually calm with the people having a sober reflection on how a four star General and immediate past CDS was killed in that manner.
Some of them who spoke with our correspondent on grounds of anonymity alleged that there were more to the stories that were being told over Badeh’s murder, alleging that it was a politically motivated killing.
When approached over what the military was doing to uncover the killers of Badeh, the Defence Headquarters, through the Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig- Gen. John Agim, said it was police duty to uncover the killers of the CDS.
However, Air Commodore Daramola told our correspondent that NAF had commenced investigation in concert with other security agencies and would unravel the circumstances that led to his gruesome murder, as well as uncover the killers. (Daily Independent)
