•Suspects on trial for alleged dereliction of duty, security breach •Concerns as EFCC asks widow to justify $1m in account
November 3, 2019
The military authorities have sent on trial the Aide-de-Camp to the late Air Marshal Alex Badeh, for alleged dereliction of duty and security breach believed to have caused his death .
Charged before a court martial for the same offences are six other military men.
Badeh, a former Chief of Defence Staff, was assassinated in an ambush on the Keffi – Abuja expressway on the evening of the 18th of December 2018.
Their arraignment comes as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) insists that Badeh’s widow, Mary Iyah, must account for about $1million in her account with the First Bank of Nigeria (FBN).
She was also asked to prove beyond doubt that the ownership of a showroom belonged to her late mother and not hers.
There were however concerns from relatives, military colleagues, associates and friends about the fate of the widow, who is still undergoing trauma over the loss of her husband.
It was learnt that some forces are trying to prevail on EFCC for a waiver for Mrs. Badeh after the family has forfeited more than N6billion assets apart from cash.
Investigation by The Nation revealed that the outcome of the investigation of Badeh’s death pointed to alleged security lax around the ex-CDS when he was shot dead.
It was learnt that based on the report, the ADC and six others were recommended for trial by a court martial.
Sources said all seven accused persons were arraigned last week and their s taken.
A reliable source said: “There are so many angles to Badeh’s death which we hope the court will unravel.
“For instance, on the day he was killed, the route which the late ex-CDS normally took from his farm to his residence was changed. And he had the opportunity to ask what informed the re-direction of the route.
“Also, the ADC was alleged not to be in the same car with his boss contrary to security protocol for such a highly-placed officer. Only his engineer friend was with him in the car.
“The pilot vehicle was behind Badeh’s car instead of being in front in line with security procedures. There was no evidence of resistance by the security details around Badeh.
“The security team was also said to have had some delay in communicating the appropriate authorities on the attack on Badeh and the circumstances behind it. The Sit-Rep (Situation Report) came late. “All these and other forensic details have added up to the allegation of dereliction of duty.
A top defence source, however, could only confirm that the Court Martial has started sitting.
But the location of the court was not disclosed.
The source said: “Basically, the Court Martial will focus on alleged dereliction of duty and security breach when Badeh was killed.
“The military authority is not accusing these suspects of murder but the court will look into allegation of dereliction of duty against them.”
EFCC demands answers on $1m bank deposit
It was also gathered that the $1million allegedly found in Mrs. Badeh’s account that EFCC suspects that the cash was part of the slush funds linked with the late former CDS.
Mary Iyah, who has been reporting to the Economic Governance Unit of EFCC, claims she earned the cash through hard work having been in the business of jewelry and furniture since Badeh was a junior officer.
The commission says she has more explanations to do on how she sourced the money.
Another $1million was seized from Badeh’s home when he was arrested.
There were however concerns from relatives, military colleagues, associates and friends about the fate of the widow, who is still undergoing trauma over the loss of her husband.
It was learnt that some vested interests are trying to prevail on EFCC for a waiver for Mrs. Badeh after the family has forfeited more than N6billion assets apart from cash.
A reliable source in EFCC said: “We have nothing against the widow, we only located $1million in her First Bank account and we asked her to explain how she came about it. We did not touch other accounts belonging to her.
“She has been coming to us but we only need evidence of ownership of the money and a showroom in Abuja which she claimed she inherited from her late mother.
“As a matter of fact, we are more interested in the $1million than the showroom.”
An associate of Badeh’s widow said: “In fairness, Badeh’s wife has been a high-profile jeweler since her husband was a junior officer. She has a huge client base and her revenue profile could be more than $1million.
“We are just pleading with the Federal Government to give her a waiver because she has not overcome the trauma of her husband. The family has kept to its agreement with the EFCC by releasing some assets and funds.
“We want an amicable resolution of all issues to save this woman more agonizing moments. They should not forget that Badeh denied ownership of the properties seized by the anti-graft agency but he did not live to prove his innocence.”
On July 17, 2019, the EFCC handed over a N4.5billion choice property forfeited by Badeh to the Voice of Nigeria (VON).
The property, located at Plot 1386 Uda Crescent, off Aminu Kano Crescent, Wuse 2, Abuja, was handed over to VON by the EFCC Secretary, Olanipekun Olukoyede who represented the Acting Chairman of the Commission, Ibrahim Magu.
Also, on August 9, another 13-bedroom, one-storey building and a basement, forfeited by the late CDS was given to the management of North-East Development Commission(NEDC) in Abuja.
The NEDC asset was said to be worth over N3billion.
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