Badeh: Two suspects held

Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the murder of a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, The Nation learnt yesterday.

The suspects are the man who reportedly hired the assailants and the one who is said to have pulled the trigger.

It was also gathered that Badeh was killed on Keffi-Abuja road following the information that he had some cash on him to pay for additional farmland. He was on his way from his farm.

The farmland was said to be next to the one he had already cultivated.

The police may parade suspects today to give Nigerians some insights into how Badeh was killed.

The parade will also allow the media to interact with the suspects.

An interim  report has been submitted to President Muhammadu Buhari who ordered the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Kpotun Idris, to fish out Badeh’s killers.

Badeh( 61) was shot dead on December 18  near Gitata, a village on the Keffi-Bade-Abuja road.

Badeh was killed, his driver wounded and his friend abducted by the assailants.

The friend of the ex-CDS was released on Monday after the family had paid ransom said to be in millions of naira.

According to sources, the breakthrough was recorded by the IGP Rapid Response Team (IRT) in conjunction with the military and other security agencies.

A source privy to the matter said: “After about a week of investigation, the Police, in collaboration with the military and other security agencies have arrested the man who contracted out the killing of Badeh.

“And following intelligence, the detectives traced and arrested the suspect who actually shot at Badeh at close range to kill him.

“The killing had to do with alleged transactions on additional farmland which was to be sold to the ex-CDS.

“The suspect who hired the assailants was not part of the deal. But he got to know of the transactions the day and time that Badeh was coming to pay for the farmland.

“Unfortunately, the deal was not yet concluded on the appointed day, but the ‘murder contractor’ suspected that Badeh was with the cash on December 18 and engaged some assassins to waylay and kill him in order to haul the cash.”

The Police, the military and other security agencies are still on the trail of other accomplices, the source said, adding:

“Some detectives were still on surveillance along Abuja-Keffi road in order to find lasting solutions to rampant cases of robbery, kidnapping and killings along this axis.”