Some residents of the community where Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd)
was killed have revealed details of how the ex chief of defense staff
was shot as he made his way from his farm.
The residents said
they did not know the victim was the former chief of defense staff until
his death was announced by the Air Force – One resident, Idris Musa,
said he had parked his vehicle and run into the bush when he saw Badeh’s
Tundra drive past and run into the robbers – Another resident, Abdul
Gitata, said he was attacked thrice in the area and once shot at by the
gunmen whom he said were usually dressed in military uniforms The late
Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd), former chief of defense staff, was
in his Toyota Tundra truck with registration number MUB 396 AA when he
was shot by some unknown gunmen at a location in Gitata community on
Keffi-Bade road, Nasarawa state.
Speaking on the unfortunate
development, some residents of the community said Badeh was shot as he
made his way from his farm between Koso and Kugwaru communities. They
said the deceased chose to go through Panda road off the Keffi-Bade
highway due to the dilapidation of the Mararaba route, Daily Trust
reports.
Some residents also disclosed that the layout of the
crime scene was consistent with the style of operation of gunmen who
regularly attack travelers in the area. Witnesses reportedly described
Badeh as being seated in front beside the driver, and shot in the trunk.
They said they did not know the victim was the former chief of defense
staff until his death was announced by the Air Force.
One
witness identified as Idris Musa, who spoke in Hausa, said the incident
happened at about 6:45pm on Tuesday, December 18. He said he was
informed about an ongoing robbery on the road after being stopped by
some drivers at Unguwar Mangoro, as he drove to Gitata from Keffi. He
said he parked his vehicle by the roadside while looking out for
oncoming vehicles near the bush, when he saw a vehicle run into the
robbers.
He said: “This very man was coming with his car,
Tundra, when he now switched on his head light. Then they started
shooting at his car.” Musa added that he counted about 10 gunshots
before he fled into the bush in fear, until he was called out by his
colleagues after the gunmen left. He said: “When they went there, they
saw the driver injured on the arm and another man already dead in the
car.
He was shot in the stomach.” He said a bandage was
wrapped around the injured driver’s arm by soldiers. He added: “This is
the third time in this month that something like this happens. Two
people have been killed and one kidnapped this month.” Musa said Badeh
was shot few minutes from Zango Gitata, a community located between two
military checkpoints. Also on the Keffi-Bade road is the Shitu Alao
Barracks. A trader in Gitata, one Joshua Ade, however, stated that
gunmen could operate about three times in a day before the two
checkpoints were mounted. He said: “At times they come out three times
in a day. We thank God because of the soldiers at the checkpoints.
Then
we do hear gunshots from here.”Ade said he saw the Tundra go by on the
road on Tuesday while he was at his makeshift shop where he sells car
spare parts. Few minutes later, soldiers at the Gitata checkpoints were
seen speeding in opposite direction. He said: “It was this morning
(Wednesday) that I got to know that the man was prominent. This month it
is up to two times.
Two weeks ago, they operated and kidnapped
about six people. “It has been happening before; it is because of this
man that died which I think is an elderly person or top government
official that everyone is hearing it. “Since last night, soldiers are
going up and down. They mount road blocks down there and about 10 of
their vehicles have been patrolling the area.”
Another resident,
Abdul Gitata, said he was attacked thrice and once shot at by the
gunmen whom he said were usually dressed in military uniforms. He said:
“The last time that I encountered them, almost two months, they shot at
my car and broke three of my tyres. They usually lie down in the bush
and just start shooting at the car. When you stop, they will kidnap
people and go.
“That place is a bush, no houses there and there
is a bending corner. Normally if you hear any armed robbery incident, it
is that place. When you are coming from Keffi, your mind won’t rest
until you cross the place. They operate even in the day.
“They
(gunmen) used to have information. When security are patrolling, you
won’t see them; but when soldiers are gone, they now operate.”
Meanwhile, We previously reported that President Muhammadu Buhari
described the killing of Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd) as “very sad
and unfortunate.”
The president, in a statement by his special
adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, in Abuja on Wednesday,
December 19, commiserated with the family of the late four-star general,
his friends and professional colleagues in the military.
President Buhari also condoled with the people and government of Adamawa over the demise of the former chief of defence staff.
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