Headline

Buratai Declares Killing of Alex Badeh as ‘Totally Unacceptable’

Published

7 years ago

December 19, 2018

Eric

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, has condemned the killing on Tuesday, of former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, saying the incident was “totally unacceptable”.

He stated this at the Fourth Quarter Chief of Air Staff Conference on Wednesday in Abuja.

Badeh died from gunshot injuries sustained when his vehicle was attacked while returning from his farm along Abuja-Keffi road.

Abubakar said the Nigeria Air Force was still in a state of shock over the death of its former chief.

“We are no doubt in a state of shock at what happened yesterday when the former CDS was killed along Keffi-Abuja road.

“The entire Air Force family is shocked about the incident and we are expressing our condolence to the wife and children of Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh.

“We are very appreciative of the sentiments expressed by Nigerians after the incident. It shows they love and support the Service.

“For this kind of thing to happen, it is something that is totally unacceptable,” he said.

He explained that the NAF was working to find those behind the heinous crime, and said, “by the special grace of God, we will get them and they will face justice.”

The air chief said that it was an internal reminder to Nigerians that the military had shouldered the responsibility of protecting lives and property of all Nigerians.

“Though we are working hard, we should redouble our efforts; we need to work round the clock, we need to put in more effort.

“We need to collaborate more closely to ensure that these criminals are not allowed to endanger the lives of our people.

“On our part, as a service, I am sure you are aware of the efforts we are making to build the capacity of the special force and regiment personnel so as to add value to what we are doing in all parts of the country,” he said.

“It is not entirely a military affair; those guys that shot Badeh came from an environment; so, we all have to put hands together to make sure that our national security is not undermined by individuals,” Abubakar said.

He pointed out that the military had been working to ensure that every Nigerian was able to pursue his or her business without fear or intimidation.

The News Agency of Nigeria recalls that late retired Badeh was standing trial at the Federal High Court, Abuja, for allegedly abusing his office by diverting N3.97 billion public funds.

He was billed to open his defence in the fraud charge brought against him by the Federal Government on January 16, 2019.

The late four-star flag officer of the Nigerian Air Force was the 18th Chief of Air Staff, from October 4, 2012 to January 16, 2014, and the 15th Chief of Defence Staff, from January 16, 2014 to July 13, 2015.

(NAN)

Headline

Akpabio Relieves Natasha of Committee Chairmanship Position, Appoints Akwa Ibom Senator As Replacement

Published

21 hours ago

July 10, 2025

Eric

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has replaced suspended Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, as the Chairman, Senate Committee on Diaspora/Non-Governmental Organisations.

In her place, Akpabio named Senator Bassey Aniekun Etim (Akwa Ibom -East).

The Senate President, who made the announcement on the floor in Abuja on Thursday, did not give any reasons.

The committee position had remained vacant since March when the Senate suspended the Kogi-Central Senatorial District lawmaker for six months for flouting the Senate’s rule on the seating arrangement and seat allocation.

The suspended lawmaker, at a point, chaired the Senate Committee on Local Content before Akpabio reassigned her to the Committee on Diaspora/NGO, shortly before she ran into trouble with the Senate over her conduct on seat allocation.

Headline

Supreme Court Upholds Election of Monday Okpebholo As Edo Governor

Published

1 day ago

July 10, 2025

Eric

The Supreme Court has affirmed the 2024 governorship election victory of Governor Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissing the appeal filed by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Asuerinme Ighodalo.

In a unanimous decision by a five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba, the apex court ruled that the appeal lacked merit. It upheld the earlier judgments of the Court of Appeal and the Edo State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, which had both declared Okpebholo the validly elected governor.

Headline

‘Overthrow’ Comment: Tinubu’ll Be Removed by Votes, Not Bullets, ADC Replies Presidency

Published

1 day ago

July 10, 2025

Eric

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), on Wednesday, said President Bola Tinubu will be removed through the ballot and not bullets.It dismissed insinuations that the coalition is interested in truncating democracy in Nigeria.

ADC’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, accused Tinubu of laying the foundation for a clampdown on opposition leaders.

He made the remark in response to a tweet by Tinubu’s spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, who alleged that the opposition was planning to overthrow the President.

Onanuga had said the coalition had ganged up to overthrow Tinubu’s administration.Rubbishing Onanuga’s comment, Abdullahi described his remark as reckless and unsubstantiated.

In a statement he signed, Abdullahi said Onanuga’s comment shows that Tinubu’s administration is out to intimidate and repress opposition political leaders in Nigeria.

He noted that ADC would explore Democratic means to ensure Tinubu’s removal from office and not by overthrowing him.

The statement read partly: “ADC condemned the tweet made by an aide of President Bola Tinubu, Onanuga, which alleges that the opposition is planning to overthrow the Tinubu government before 2027.

“If anything, it potentially lays the grounds for systematic clampdown on opposition leaders.

“The ADC is not interested in truncating democracy, we are solely committed to saving the nation from the irredeemable incompetence of this government. We are not soldiers, we are politicians.

“We don’t have bullets; we only have the ballots. When the time comes, we will only present our solutions and an alternative vision of the future to the Nigerian people and leave them to make their choice.”