Senate tasks FG, security agencies to unravel Alex Badeh’s assassination, rescue kidnapped staff

The upper chamber of the National Assembly, Thursday, urged the
federal government to unravel the circumstances surrounding the
assassination of former Chief of Defence staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex
Badeh (retd).

The Senate also urged the security agencies to search and rescue the
personal staff of the slain Air Force Chief held hostage by the
assailants.

The call by the Senate was sequel to a motion sponsored by Senator
Binta Masi Garba (Adamawa North) and co-sponsored by Senator Bala
Na'Allah (Kebbi south).

Garba recalled that "Badeh retired in July 2015 in line with military
tradition a pulling-out parade was held at the Mogadishu cantonment
Abuja where Air Chief Marshal Badeh gave his valedictory speech before
proceeding to his home state".

She however regretted that the late Chief of Defence staff died from
gunshot wounds sustained when his vehicle was attacked while returning
from his farm alongside his driver while one of his personal staff is
still held hostage by the assailants.

In his contribution, Senator Shehu Sani, who lamented that the killing
was an addition to the cases of unresolved assassination, warned that
the state must take the issue very seriously.

He said: "Badeh served his country from the beginning to the end,
meritoriously. It is sad that he is a victim of assassination. He was
killed few kilometers from the state capital. The state has failed
Badeh. We should take the issue of security serious. He is a victim of
an assasination.

"This should bring to light a national discourse. If this can happen
to Alex Badeh, it can happen to anybody. It is an addition to the
cases of unresolved assassination. The state must take this issue very
seriously. We owed him a duty to ensure that such a thing never happen
again. The security agencies should deploy necessary security
technologies to fish out the killers."

The Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, in his
contribution, lamented that the killer, like the case of Bola Ige and
others, might never be found.

He said: "The killers might never be found because this is not the
first time we would have such incidence. The time has come for us to
ensure that assassins are found.

"Abuja, the FCT is becoming unsafe for the residents. We must ensure
that all the CCTV are working in memory of Badeh and ensure that the
killers are found."

Ruling on the debate, the President of the Senate, Bukola Saraki said,
"we need to do more in the area of security. Necessary measures must
be taken to ensure that lives and properties are protected.