The joint investigation panel set up by the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) to investigate the killing of the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, yesterday said that the killing of the former CDS has no political undertone whatsoever as it is being speculated in some quarters. The panel also said that the killing was purely a criminal act masterminded by criminals and has nothing to do with politics.
Chairman of the panel, Major-General Bamidela Shafa, made the revelation at a briefing held to parade the suspected killers at the Defence Headquarters Garrison, in Abuja. Shafa, surrounded by other members of the panel, said the panel arrived at the decision after a discreet and intensive investigation He said:
“After thorough and exhaustive investigations, the panel made the following findings: The attack and killing of Air Chief Marshall AS Badeh (rtd), on December 18, 2018, was criminal and does not have any political undertone. “One of the terms of reference for my panel was to determine the circumstances surrounding the killing of the former CDS. And as of press people, you are aware that when this incident happened, there were all sorts of stories in the air.
“So, my committee has that responsibility to determine weather those stories were true or not. And from all evidence that was presented before my panel, there was nothing, I say again, there was nothing that suggested that there was a political undertone to the attack and killing of former CDS.
“It was purely criminal orchestrated by a few criminals some of whom we have arrested and we have paraded to you this morning.”
He listed those who played a major role in the killing as Aliyu Usman, 35, Shuaibu Rabo, 25, Yahaya Nuhu, 18, Muhammed Musa aka Alhaji Lamido Tahara, 45, Ibrahim Abdullahi, aka Baba, 30, and Jibrin Ibrahim, 51. He also listed items recovered from the suspects as one AK-47, riffle, one Dane gun, and other dangerous weapons.
He said the panel comprising 27 members, including an attorney, were drawn from the Defence Headquarters, Army, Navy, Air force, DIA, Police, and the DSS. He also said the panel was assisted by 21 investigators and operatives drawn from the services and agencies. Meanwhile, Two major suspects and mastermind of the killing Badeh have told of how they were lured by Alhaji Maude to take part in the brutal killing of the former service chief. Shuaibu Rabo, a 26, year old farmer and member of a local vigilante group in his village, and Aliyu Usman, aka Chiroma, a taxi driver, who was paraded before newsmen in Abuja yesterday, told of how they were recruited to execute the project.
They also told of how the man who got them to do the hatchet job did not give them a dime after the killing of the former CDS. The suspects, who came prepared and ready to answer questions from journalists, were, however, restricted from answering tough questions by the military and police who felt embarrassed by the questions and hurriedly stopped the question and answer session. Rabo said:
“ I got involved in the killing of the former Chief Of Defence Staff when on a particular Friday that I went to the market at Geita, in Nasarawa State. One of my friends met me and told me he has a job for me. I went to the market with another friend, Yahaya, when this my friend, Chiroma, approached me and told me that he has a job for me. I asked him, the nature of the job that he had for me and he said I should be patient until the next week Tuesday that he will tell me what the job is all about.
“I also asked him where the job would take place and he said he was not the original owner of the job that I should exercise patience until he meets with the person that brought the job to him. “So, on the agreed date, I went with six of my other friends, Shuiabu, Chiroma, Lamido, Yahaya, Alhaji Moje, Paso, and Ibrahim.
“I never knew the status of the person that they invited me to go and kill and they never told me how much they would pay me before we embarked on the dangerous journey and they never told any of us how much was in the bag either that was recovered from the victim. “After the killing of the big man, they did not give me a penny from the job because, after the operation, Chiroma took the bag that they got from the big man and Chiroma told us that he handed over the bag to Alhaji Maude.
So, they did not give me anything. “He only promised that he will get across to us after some days and he never did until we were arrested. “We never knew the target was a retired soldier at all before we embarked on the operation. It was after we were arrested that we got to know that the man is not just a soldier but a very big soldier.” Chiroma said:
“What happened was that one day I went to a place called Panda, and then Alhaji Maude approached me and told me that there is one man that has a farm around their area and that he perceives the man to be very rich and that he wants us to do a job for him. He said he would let us know whenever the man is on the farm so we can carry out the job.
“At that point, I told him I have never done that kind of job before in my life that I cannot to do it and he said no that there was nothing wrong for me to start and that there was not going to be any problem. He said that I should not worry, that there was nothing to be afraid about. “We are seven in number that I took to Alhaji for the job. Then when we all then moved to Gitata village and Alhaji Maude, took a motorbike and met us at Zango, not too far from the big mans farm.
“While we were there, he told us that the man was on his way so we waited for him and attacked him immediately we saw his vehicle approaching.”
