Air Chief Marshal Alex Sabundu Badeh (retd.), who has been in EFCC’s cell for weeks now over his alleged involvement in the $2.1 billion arms deal is now crying out to Nigerians. The former Chief of Defence Staff revealed that he is an orphan:  “I lost my father in the 70s and my mother in 2013 and I also lost my personal home and hospital in my village, Vimtim, Adamawa State in defence of my fatherland”.

He disclosed that… “I was Chief of Air Staff from October 2012 to January 2014 and then appointed CDS. During my time serving as the CDS, funds for weapons were directly released to the chiefs of Air Staff, Army Staff and Naval Staff and not to me. I had no control over the funds and yet I am being accused of embezzling weapons’ funds. The office of the CDS had no operational control of the Services and had nothing to do with their spending.”

He added that “The EFCC’s claim that I received $800,000 from my Director of Finance and Accounts (DFA) 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? If the EFCC’s claim that the properties belong to me and that they were obtained illegally through proxies, then the agency should go to the court and get an order of forfeiture rather than insisting that I am the owner of the properties. All I ask for is to be given a fair hearing with the rule of law strictly adhered to. It is a media trial and I am being persecuted.”