The gruesome killing of the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, has underscored the rising insecurity in the country. The former CDS was reportedly in company of his driver and a friend when he was killed. The murder of Badeh along Keffi-Kaduna road has shown the urgent need to rejig the security of the country. His death coming not quite long after the killing of Maj.-Gen. Idris Alkali, raises serious concerns about the nation’s security.
Badeh: Police arrest mastermind, 4 others
We condemn the killing of Badeh and others in recent times and call on the security agencies to unravel those behind the dastardly acts. It is good that following President Muhammadu Buhari’s order for the arrest of the perpetrators of the heinous crime, the police had arrested some suspects in connection with the murder. The police must go a step further to ensure that those arrested for the killing of Badeh are diligently prosecuted and punished if found guilty.
This is one murder case that must be resolved. We have had many cases of unresolved murders in the country. The murder of the former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Chief Bola Ige, is one of such unresolved murders. Others include Dr. Harry Marshall, an ANPP chieftain, Chief Ogbonnaya Uche of ANPP, Imo State, Barrister Barnabas Igwe and wife, Abigail Igwe. Let Badeh’s murder case be an exception.
The late Badeh can be described as one of the finest officers of the Nigerian Air Force. He was a member of the 21 Regular Course of the Nigerian Defence Academy of January 3, 1977. He was commissioned a Pilot Officer on July 1979. He commenced his flying career at the 301Flying Training School on the Bulldog Primary Trainer aircraft in 1979. Between 1981 and 1982 he attended the Undergraduate Pilot Training School as a squadron pilot and later became an instructor pilot on the Bull Dog and DO-228 aircraft.
The deceased attended the junior staff course at Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, in 1988. In 2005, he was at the National War College Nigeria as a member of Course 14 and graduated on August 2006. Badeh was the Commander of the Presidential Fleet during the presidency of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo. We commend the steps taken so far by the security agencies and urge them not to rest until they get to the root of the matter. The killing of Badeh is indeed one death too many, and no stone should be left unturned to resolve it.
Beyond the arrest of suspected killers of Badeh, the Federal Government and the security agencies must reinvigorate the nation’s security. Let the security agencies be well equipped and motivated. The life of every Nigerian matters. There is the need to ensure that Nigeria is secure at all times. Nigeria can only develop when there is peace and security.
Since the protection of lives and property is the primary duty of government, the Federal Government must ensure that this primary function of government is duly performed. There must be security for all in the society. All retired military officers must be given adequate security at all times.
As we enter the election year, it is instructive that government should provide adequate security for the exercise to be seamless. At a time when the country is in dire need of foreign direct investments, the rising insecurity can only scar investors away.
The only way to prevent heinous crimes in any society is to punish those that perpetrate them. In the case of the killing of Badeh, we urge the police to ensure that those found culpable are tried and given adequate punishment. The era of unresolved murders should be consigned to the past. Let there be a renewed interest in resolving all murders, especially the high profile ones.