#DasukiGate: Former CDS Badeh Denies Link With $2.1 Billion Arms Saga

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Thursday, March 3rd, 2016

By Niyi Adeyi

The immediate past Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd), has declared he has no link with #Dasukigate as well as denied allegation of possessing five properties – acquired from his alleged share from the arms procurement money.

Badeh who in a statement recalled he was appointed the Chief of Air staff from Oct 2012 to January 2014, after which he was elevated as the CDS, claimed during his tenure, funds for weapons were directly released to the Chief of Air staff, army staff and naval staff and not him.

He claimed he had no control over the funds, yet being accused of embezzlement, adding that the office of the CDS had no operational control of the services and had nothing to do with their spending.

The retired security Chief countered the “EFCC’s claim that I received $800,000 from my Director of Finance and accounts is untrue. I did not receive such money from the erstwhile DFA. If he claims to have given me money, where is the proof? Was it paid into my account? Did I sign for it?

“In the case of the properties, if they claim the properties are mine and were obtained illegally through proxies then they should go to the court and get an order of forfeiture rather than trying to insist I am the owner of the properties”.
Badeh who lamented he was being given media trial and persecuted, again expressed worry, alleging the “media has unwittingly allowed itself to be used by interested parties to become judge jury and executioner in my case”.

He said when the EFCC claimed Billions were found in accounts of wives of some past Air Force officers, none was found with his family, still, accused the anti-graft body for generalizing and making it look like his family was involved.

“It is rather unfortunate that the nation which I fought so hard within my means to defend against Boko Haram insurgents cannot guarantee my fundamental human rights.

“During my time as the CDS, lives of both soldiers and civilians were lost. Territories were lost. We fought to regain our nation’s territorial integrity and the insurgents pushed back” Badeh restated.

The ex-CDS claimed he lost personal house and hospital while the war against the insurgents raged. He indicated his private hospital which was equally used in the treatment of injured soldiers.

“During the 2014 Boko Haram attack on my village Vimtim, it was widely reported in the media that I sent a helicopter to evacuate my parents and relatives. Which parents? I am an orphan, I lost my father in the 70’s and my mother in 2013. My cousin, who lived next to me, was killed during the 2014 attack on my village. So who exactly did I evacuate? It is unfortunate that I didn’t come out to clarify some of these issues when they were reported in the media.

“I was detained by The EFCC for 3 weeks and was not charged to court but was given onerous bail conditions by the Commission which I could not meet. A remand warrant was hastily obtained on the 25th February in Lagos as soon as The EFCC was served with a notice for my bail hearing in court by my lawyers. Why detain me for so long and issue such onerous bail conditions when they aren’t ready to charge me to court?” queried the former CDS.

Badeh said since he honoured the EFCC invitation, all he was asking for was to be given a fair hearing with the rule of law strictly adhered to.