A SUSPECT allegedly involved in the murder of former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (Rtd) yesterday revealed, in a video confession, that the general was killed after they got a tip-off that he was bringing money to pay for a newly purchased parcel of land.
The one-minute thirty-second confessional video shows the suspect, a 25-year-old Shuaibu Rabo saying Badeh was killed in an attack to rob him of money meant for the purchase of farmland.
A person who seems to be a police officer while avoiding the camera conducted an interview with the suspect in Hausa language.
He narrated the incident led to the killing of the retired general: “One day, Yaya went to Gitata market and met Ciroma who gave him a hint that the retired general (Badeh) had bought new farmland and he was bringing the money on a particular day.”
He said Ciroma then told Yaya that they should plan on how to go and rob them of the money. He said on the day of the incident, they laid an ambush along the road. He said it was Ciroma who confirmed Badeh’s vehicle when it was approaching.
“We blocked the road. And some of us were trailing his car. When he reached us, he (Badeh) did not show any intention of turning back. In fact, he acted as if he was going to knock Ciroma down. When Ciroma realized that, he jumped off the road and opened fire on him (Badeh),” Rabo explained.
He said thereafter, they ransacked the vehicle and carried a bag of money in local currency.
The police yesterday during a press conference at the Force Headquarters in Abuja also said five suspects have been arrested in connection to the murder of the former CDS.
Police spokesman, DSP Jimoh Moshood said the Joint Police Investigation Team, the IGP Intelligence Response Team and the Special Tactical Squad arrested two principal suspects and three other suspects in connection with the crime.
He said they are now in the police custody undergoing investigation, as the search to arrest others continues.
Moshood said the parade of the two principal suspects and the three other gang members now in police custody would not come up today so as not to jeopardize the on-going investigation.
“All the suspects will be paraded before the media and the public on completion of an investigation into the matter,” he added.
Badeh was killed by gunmen along the Keffi – Abuja road, on December 18. during an attack on his vehicle while returning from his farm.
Amos Abba is a journalist with the International Center for Investigative Reporting, ICIR, who believes that courageous investigative reporting is the key to social justice and accountability in the society.