Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

Security sources in Aso Villa on Sunday denied reports that Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), who was shot dead by unknown gunmen along Abuja-Keffi Road last week, met with Abba Kyari, Chief of Staff to President Muhammadu Buhari, in Aso Villa, three weeks before his death.

A national newspaper had reported that Aisha Buhari recently took the late Badeh to Kyari in Abuja in order to assist him in his trial but that he (Kyari) asked him to call back.

According to the report, “Badeh stated that Aisha Buhari then took him to Kyari, but the COS was non-committal. He asked the ex-CDS to call him back, but he (Kyari) was unreachable since the meeting which took place about three weeks ago.”

But speaking with Daily Independent, a top security source – who spoke on condition of anonymity – said from available records, there was no evidence that Badeh visited Aso Villa in the last one month.

“For visitors to Aso Villa, there must be evidence of visit as there are daily records of activities such as signing of visitor’s register.

“From our findings, there is no iota of truth in the report that the late Badeh visited Aso Villa in the last one month.

“We have checked all the security records and there is nothing to prove that the late Badeh visited Aso Villa,” the source said.

Also speaking, a close associate of Abba Kyari called on the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) to ensure a thorough investigation of the murder of the former defence chief, saying, “All the talks about him visiting Aso Villa is a calculated attempt by some people to divert attention from finding Badeh’s killers.”

He added that the last time Kyari sighted Badeh was a very long time ago when they met at an event.

It would be recalled that Badeh was in his Toyota Tundra truck with registration number, MUB 396 AA, when he was shot by unknown gunmen at a location in Gitata community on Keffi-Bade road, Nasarawa State.

Some Gitata residents said the deceased was coming from his farm between Koso and Kugwaru communities when he was shot.