A suspect arrested allegedly for killing a former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh (rtd) yesterday said the general was killed because they got a tip-off that he was bringing money to pay for a newly purchased land.

In a one-minute thirty-seconds confessional video seen by Daily Trust yesterday, the suspect, a 25-year-old Shuaibu Rabo said Badeh was killed in an attack to rob him of money meant for the purchase of farmland.

Someone who seems to be a police officer while avoiding the camera conducted an interview with the suspect in Hausa language.

Rabo explained how the incident happened thus: “One day, Yaya went to Gitata market and met Ciroma who gave him a hint that the retired general (Badeh) had bought new farmland and he was bringing the money on a particular day.”

He said Ciroma then told Yaya that they should plan on how to go and rob them of the money. He said on the day of the incident, they laid an ambush along the road. He said it was Ciroma who confirmed Badeh’s vehicle when it was approaching.

“We blocked the road. And some of us were trailing his car. When he reached us, he (Badeh) did not show any intention of turning back. In fact, he acted as if he was going to knock Ciroma down. When Ciroma realized that, he jumped off the road and opened fire on him (Badeh),” Rabo explained. He said thereafter, they ransacked the vehicle and carried a bag of money in local currency.

The police yesterday during a press conference at the Force Headquarters in Abuja also said five suspects have been arrested in connection to the murder of the former CDS.

Police spokesman, DSP Jimoh Moshood said the Joint Police Investigation Team, the IGP Intelligence Response Team and the Special Tactical Squad arrested two principal suspects and three other suspects in connection with the crime.

He said, “They are now in Police custody undergoing investigation,” adding that, “the investigation into the killing of the former, Chief of Defence Staff is being intensified to arrest other suspects still at large.”

Moshood noted that “the parade of the two principal suspects and the three other gang members now in police custody will not come up today so as not to jeopardize the on-going investigation.”

He said, “All the suspects will be paraded before the media and the public on completion of an investigation into the matter.”

He said the Nigeria Police Force will not relent nor leave any stone unturned in getting to the root of the killing and bringing all perpetrators to justice.

Badeh was killed by unknown gunmen along the Keffi – Abuja road, on December 18. during an attack on his vehicle while returning from his farm.