Alex Sabundu Badeh (7 November 1957 – 18 December 2018) was an officer of the Nigerian Air Force who served as the 18th Chief of Air Staff and the 15th Chief of Defence Staff of Nigeria. He died from gunshot injuries sustained after his vehicle was attacked by unknown gunmen along Abuja-Keffi road on Tuesday, 18 December 2018. Early life and education Badeh was born in Vimtim, a little town in the Mubi Local Government Area of Adamawa State, North East Nigeria into a family of peasant farmers. He attended Vimtim Primary School, Vimtim and went on to obtain his school certificate from Villanova Secondary School in 1976 before proceeding to the Nigerian Defence Academy. Military career Training Badeh was admitted into the Nigerian Defence Academy as a member of the 21 Regular Course on 3 January 1977, and was commissioned a Pilot Officer on 3 July 1979. He commenced his flying career at the 301 Flying Training School on the Bulldog Primary Trainer aircraft in 1979. Between 1981 and 1982 he attended the Undergraduate Pilot Training at Vance Air Force Base of the United States Air Force. He was at the 301 Flying Training School (FTS) as a squadron pilot and later became an instructor pilot on the Bull Dog and DO-228 aircraft. He attended the junior staff course at Armed Forces Command and Staff College in 1988. Between 1995 and 1996 he attended the senior staff course at same institution. In 2005 he was at the National War College Nigeria as a member of Course 14 and graduated in August 2006. The Air Marshal Badeh held an M.Sc. degree in Strategic Studies from the University of Ibadan. Air Marshal Badeh was promoted to Air Vice Marshal on 3 January 2008. Between 2008 and 2009, he was on the Directing Staff at the National Defence College, Abuja, Nigeria and subsequently became the Director National Military Strategy at the same college. Thereafter, he moved to Defence Headquarters as Deputy Director Training and later became the Director of Research at the Defence Headquarters. From October 2010 to March 2012, Air Marshal Badeh moved to Headquarters, Nigerian Air Force as Chief of Policy and Plans. Subsequently, in March 2012, he was appointed Air Officer Commanding Training Command, Kaduna. On 4 October 2012. He attended Safety International Institute at Teterboro in New York for a course in simulator recurrence, which deepened his knowledge