Samuel O. Zibiri (SAN) & Co, lawyers to former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, have petitioned the office of the Attorney General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), accusing the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) of holding him longer than necessary without charging him to court.
Recall that the EFCC had invited Badeh on February 8 and interrogated him for hours before detaining him.
In a letter dated February 26 and titled “Re: Continuous detention of Air Chief Marshal A.S. Badeh”, the legal team advised against the continued detention of Badeh on the grounds of his health and meritorious service to the nation.
The lawyers made a case for urgent medical attention for Badeh, whom they said was suffering from many ailments including high blood pressure, renal lithiasis and spinal cord injuries.
The letter read in part: “We wish to draw the minister’s attention to our client’s health condition which we have drawn the attention of the Commission to.
“Our client is currently recovering from a recent surgery on his spinal cord and has a history of renal Lithiasis and acute high blood pressure which cannot be effectively managed while in detention. Attached herewith and marked as ‘ANNEXURE E’ are copies of our client’s medical report and correspondences with his surgeons.
“Considering our client’s history of impeccable service to our great nation spanning over a period of 35 years vis-àvis the last position held as the Chief of Defence Staff, our client is not likely to tamper with the commission’s investigation if any.”