Southern, Middle Belt leaders express outrage over Badeh’s murder, say Nigeria dancing on the brink

The late Alex Badeh

The Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMLF) has said it is totally devastated by the murder of  a former Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (retd.) who was killed by yet to be identified gunmen on Tuesday evening while he was returning from his farm, noting that the country was sliding into the precipice.

The Forum which stated this in a statement jointly signed by Yinka Odumakin for the South West, Prof Chigozie Ogbu for the South East, Senator Bassey Henshaw for South South and Dr Isuwa Dogo for Middle Belt, lamented the circumstances leading to the death of the former army chief, even as it blamed the federal government for failing in its responsibility of protecting life and property.

“It is a sad commentary on the degeneration of security situation in Nigeria that a former Chief of Defence Staff could be killed like a fowl on the street and no word from the government  in a classic replay of the failure of leadership that stalks our land presently,” the statement said.

“It would be a wild expectation though to expect a government that was mute for 6 days after over 100 solders were killed to be responsive to the death of a former Defence Chief. The primary responsibility every responsible government is to secure lives and property and when failure attracts mute indifference on the part of the government the killers are encouraged to continue their acts as the fear of consequences has been removed .

“We are worried that we are now in this sorry situation where human life is worth not a thing in our country as we languish under a leadership that is bereft of capacity to secure lives and property,empty of compassion and empathy and drained of human feelings .We never had it this terrible in the history of our country”

The group condoled with the family of slain former army chief, while calling on Nigerians to seek a leadership that will be alive to its responsibilities.

“Nigeria is dangerously careening  to the edge of the precipice  with the killings going on all over the place and it would take concerted efforts by Nigerians with  active support from the global community to pull Nigeria from the brink.The signs of state failure are all over us with calamitous consequences except a leadership that is equipped with capacity and and the will to do good for the polity is put in place shortly .

“Our condolences go to the family of the deceased and it is our prayer that God Almighty will console them over this grievous loss .May his soul rest in perfect peace!”