Southern, Middle Belt Leaders, Jonathan, Magu Condemn Badeh’s Murder

Southern, Middle Belt Leaders, Jonathan, Magu Condemn Badeh’s Murder
  •  PDP demands investigation

Shola Oyeyipo, Adedayo Akinwale and Alex Enumah in Abuja

Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum, former President Goodluck Jonathan and acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Ibrahim Magu, have condemned Tuesday’s assassination of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd), and urged security agents to bring the killers to justice.

This is coming as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed shock over the gruesome murder and demanded investigation.

The southern and middle belt leaders in a statement signed by Mr. Yinka Odumakin, Prof. Chigozie Ogbu (South-west and South-east) and Senator Bassey Henshaw and Dr. Isuwa Dogo (South-south and Middle Belt), said the killing of the retired military officer was a sad development for Nigeria, and an indication that the country was on the edge of precipice.

“It is a sad commentary on the degeneration of security situation in Nigeria that a former Chief of Defence Staff could be killed like a fowl on the street and no word from the government in a classic replay of the failure of leadership that stalks our land presently.

“It would be a wild expectation though to expect a government that was mute for six days after over 100 solders were killed to be responsive to the death of a former Defence Chief. The primary responsibility every responsible government is to secure lives and property and when failure attracts mute indifference on the part of the government the killers are encouraged to continue their acts as the fear of consequences has been removed.

“We are worried that we are now in this sorry situation where human life is worth not a thing in our country as we languish under a leadership that is bereft of capacity to secure lives and property, empty of compassion and empathy and drained of human feelings .We never had it this terrible in the history of our country,” the leaders said.

Former Jonathan has also extended his condolences to the Nigerian military, the entire people of Adamawa State and the family of the immediate family of Badeh, recalling that he successively served his administration as both Chief of Air Staff and Chief of Defence Staff.

According to a statement by his spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze, the former president said the late Badeh served the country to the best of his abilities.

On its part, the PDP in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, demanded a wide-ranging investigation into the killing to unravel those behind the dastardly act as well as the motive behind their action.

“PDP insists that our nation is drifting and gradually assuming the status of a failed state and urges President Muhammadu Buhari to spend the few months left of his administration to provide a leadership that will secure respect for our territorial integrity and the lives of our people,” the statement said.

The party however, condoled his family, the government and people of Adamawa State and prayed God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss, while urging security forces to immediately swing into action and leave no stones unturned until the killers are brought to book.

In his condolence message, Magu expressed shock over the incident and called on security agencies to ensure perpetrators of the dastardly act are apprehended and brought to book..

Magu’s condolences and that of the commision were contained in a letter dated December 19, 2018 and addressed to the Chief of Defence Staff, General A. G. Olanisakin.

The EFCC’s statement signed by the Acting Head of Media and Publicity, Tony Orilade, said, “Magu condemned in the strongest term, the “crude and senseless manner of the attack leading to the death of the former CDS”, and called on the relevant security agencies “to ensure that the perpetrators of this dastardly act are apprehended and brought to book”.

While condoling with the family of the late CDS, Magu said, “We pray the Almighty God will give the Defence Headquarters, the Nigeria Air Force, Adamawa State and other stakeholders, the grace to bear the irreparable loss.”

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