Prominent Nigerians have reacted to the assassination of former Chief of defence Staff, Alex Badeh with many calling for the overhauling of security architecture in the country.
Badeh was gunned down in his Toyota Camry alongside his 33-year-old driver while returning from farm along the popular Abuja-Keffi road, December 18.
Senator Ben Murray-bruce representing Bayelsa East in the National Assembly lamented the Nation’s extreme focus on politics to the detriment of National security.
In a tweet shortly after Badeh was announced dead, the Senator decried the collapsing security structure in the country.
Ben Bruce said, “Are we so caught up in APC versus PDP that we are don’t notice Nigeria is failing right before our eyes? Soldiers being killed by terrorists at an alarming rate. Prominent Nigerians are assassinated or kidnapped and killed. Whole states taken over by bandits. What is happening?”
Former Minister of Aviation and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chieftain, Mr Femi Fani-kayode in his reaction, prayed for God to deliver justice to the killers of Badeh, describing the killing as “cowardly.”
“The brutal murder of the former Chief of Defence Staff and former Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshall Alex Badeh, is a despicable and cowardly act. Those that were behind it shall not escape justice and they will pay a terrible price for their wickedness. God will avenge!,” tweeted Kayode.
Honourable Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives tasked the Security agencies to quickly arrest and prosecute the perpetrators of the gruesome murder.
“News of the gruesome murder of the former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, is both saddening and alarming. My thoughts and prayers are with his family and loved ones, and I hope that those responsible are swiftly apprehended and brought to justice,” Dogara tweeted.
Similarly, Reno Omokri, a former aide to former President Goodluck Jonathan called on the authority to investigate the killing, questioning why his(Badeh) securities were withdrawn as an ex-chief of Defense Staff.
“Ex-chief of Defense Staff, Alex Badeh, a very strong critic of the Buhari government, was just assassinated along Abuja-Keffi Road. This is a man who knew a lot about the inner workings of this government, especially the war on terror. His death must be investigated. It is too convenient. Who is next? If you don’t speak up, you may be next,” said Omokri.
“This assassination is too convenient and must be investigated by a Panel of Inquiry. He was a former Chief of Defence Staff entitled to armed guards. Where were those guards?” he added.
A twitter user, named “The Right Lieutenant” said if an Air Force General can be ambushed and killed, then everyone in the country isn’t protected.
“Nigeria is on a low. A 4-star General killed like a chicken, just like that. That means the rest of us are just on a queue. May Alex Badeh’s soul rest in peace.”
