Nigeria: The Assassination of Alex Badeh, Insecurity and Privatisation of Police

2 January 2019
opinion

THE images from the scene of attack, what political mourners and others of their ilk have variously described as a 'dastardly act' and other words to that effect, are not only graphic but are as gory and disturbing as they could possibly be. This episode harks back to the murder in 1976 of then Head of State, General Murtala Ramat Muhammamed, by renegade soldiers of the Nigerian Army during a botched attempt at a forceful takeover of government.

But the victim of this vicious attack, Alex Badeh, was a four-star general in the Nigerian Airforce and until three years ago Nigeria's Chief of Defence under the Goodluck Jonathan administration. It was during his time in the saddle that the murderous Boko Haram insurgents were at the peak of their offensive against the Nigerian state. Although the administration would under his watch gradually push back the insurgency without achieving full victory but the fight in the North East was tough enough for the man to use his position as the joint chair of military defence to evacuate his extended family from the war zone.

...

AllAfrica publishes around 400 reports a day from more than 100 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.