Badeh’s wife, sons under EFCC watchlist, may miss burial service of late security chief

– The wife and two sons of Alex Badeh may not turn up for his burial due to corruption allegation against them

– The family of the late security chief has been on the list of EFCC and Immigration commission after escaping trial in Nigeria

– Since leaving the country, attempts to deport back them from US where they currently live have been abortive

Following the confirmation of the death of former chief of defence staff, Alex Badeh, fresh reports have indicated that the family of the late security boss may miss his final burial rite, having being placed on the watch list of Department of State Security and Immigration Service.

Punch reports that a close friend family had claimed that Badeh’s widow, Mary Iya Badeh, and his two sons, Alex and Kam, have been in the United States since 2016 to avoid prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

TRACKNEWS.NG gathers that a prosecution witness, Abubakar Madaki, had told the a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja that attempts to return Badeh’s wife and his two children from America, after being charged with corruption, have been futile.

He said: “At the initial stage, when we started the investigation, we invited Alex Badeh (Jnr.) who lives in 19 Kumasi Crescent, Abuja, one of the properties, among the properties earlier mentioned.

“He happened to be a son of the first defendant (Badeh). He claimed to be a tenant in that property and since an investigation was ongoing at the preliminary stage, we allowed him to go and come back when we had enough issues to question him about.

“He left and never came back. We later got to know that he has left the country for America.

“We were also looking for Mary Iya Badeh, the wife of the first defendant, who is one of the directors in the second defendant (Iyalikam Nigeria Limited).”

Reacting to whether Badeh’s family would be available for his burial, a close family members said he does not have certainty about their presence.

He said: “I have spoken with them and I don’t know for now if they will be coming but it is highly unlikely. Their father has just been killed under controversial circumstances and the government has not removed them from the watch list.

“If they return and their passports are seized and they are not allowed to return, it would be a double tragedy.

“Everybody is still in shock so we cannot say for now if they will be coming but since they are Christians, there is no rush. A lot can happen before then.”