The suspect identified as Shuaibu Rabi said his gang wanted to rob the retired general, but they also killed him in the process. He spoke in Hausa in the video published by Punch.

According to the newspaper, the suspect said he and his friends received information that Badeh was in possession of a huge sum of money which he wanted to use in purchasing a parcel of land in Nasarawa State.

The 25-year-old suspect said after killing Badeh, he and his friends stole a bag which contained the huge sum of money, which he said was bigger than he ever saw in his life.

What happened was that, on a certain day, my elder brother went to a market, where he met with one Churuma. Churuma told him that he got information that an old soldier (Badeh) wanted to buy a parcel of land but would be buying the land in cash.

He said we would trail the soldier on that day and we would block him and collect the money. So, on that day, when we saw him coming Churuma signalled to us that it was him. Some of us stayed behind his vehicle in case he would want to reverse while Churuma stayed in front.

But when he (Badeh) saw Churuma with a gun, he did not do like he wanted to reverse, he attempted to hit Churuma with his car but Churuma dodged to the side and then opened fire on him.

After that, we opened the car and found a bag of money and went with it. When we opened the bag, the money was beyond what I had ever seen before.

When asked if the money was in Naira or foreign currency, the suspect said it was in Naira.

He added that they were able to abduct Badehs friend who was in the car.

Watch the video:

Why we killed Alex Badeh - Suspect | Punch – 01:07
— Punch Newspapers

Badeh was killed in the evening of December 18, 2018 while returning from his farm between Koso and Kugwaru communities.

The former CDS four military guards who provided security were said to have been a few kilometres away when the attack took place.

On Thursday, the Nigeria Police Force postponed the presentation of the suspected killers to newsmen in Abuja.

The force on Wednesday said it had arrested alleged killers of Badeh which it planned to present to newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.

The force Spokesman, acting DCP Jimoh Moshood said the five suspects were arrested for alleged involvement in the crime.

Moshood said that the decision to postpone the presentation of the suspects to the media was to prevent other members of the gang from escaping.

It is significant to note that the presentation of the two suspects and the three other gang members will not come up today so as not to jeopardise the ongoing investigation,he said.

The spokesman, who refused to give their names, said two out of the suspects actively participated in the killing, adding that the remaining three suspects played other roles in the crime.

Source: NAN

Political miscreants have destroyed the billboards of Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress in Kwara state.

It was the second time that the thugs would violate the candidates campaign billboards and it came hours after thugs prevented him from addressing Emir Sulu Gambari at the Ilorin Emirates Descendants Progressive Union, in Ilorin on Christmas Day.

Abdulrahman tweeted about the destruction in some areas of the capital of Ilorin on Twitter Wednesday:The orchestrated attack on me at IEDPU yesterday has continued today but now with our billboards all over Kwara. What they dont know is this: #OTOGE is not just words on a billboard, its now ingrained in the hearts of every Kwaran, and NO ONE can take it from our hearts.

On Tuesday, he tweeted: The pre-meditated disruption that was unleashed at the Emirs Palace during todays IEDPU shows how desperate the establishment is. Tell them, its already late. They can only stop me from speaking today, but they CANT silence the peoples voice.

#Otoge, the campaign buzzword of the candidate, means Enough is Enough. The APC candidate said he is poised to topple the Saraki political dynasty in the state.

Abdulrazaks campaign organisation later condemned the disruption at the Emirs palace, said to have been done by supporters of Senator Bukola Saraki.

The development at the IEDPU programme where some touts and street urchins shouting Sai Bukky disrupted a community event is disappointing, embarrassing and antithetical to good moral and ethics for which Ilorin community is known.

Apart from reminding everyone of the desperation for which the evil status quo in Kwara is known, the sad event clearly points at the extent to which the parasitic gangs will go in the coming months to continue to keep Kwara and its people down.

The disruption of the event just when the Kwara APC governorship candidate AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq was about to give his speech exposed the shenanigans of the urchins and their paymasters whose uninspiring radio programme earlier in the day has drawn the scorn and condemnation of every Kwaran home and abroad. The disruption was probably a damage control for their insulting radio programme.

The campaign team alleged that the intention was to damage the good image of the APC candidate and slow down the tsunami that is already consuming their unproductive political fiefdom in Kwara.

Source: NAN

A new militant group known as War Against Niger Delta Exploitation (WANDE) has threatened to disrupt the 2019 elections if its demands on the development of the Niger Delta region were not met by the Federal Government.

A communique signed by its spokesman, General Nomukeme, and issued in Port Harcourt on Tuesday warned that the group would begin hostilities should the government of President Mohammadu Buhari fail to prove its commitment to the growth of the oil-bearing region.

The militant groups seven-point communique indicated that it decided to make its position known after what it described as the Federal Governments continued enslavement of the people of Niger Delta.

It noted that the people of the region were denied the right to have a share of their God-given resources, but added that President Buhari would enjoy its (WANDE) support if he could prove his administrations commitment to Niger Delta development.

WANDE will galvanise the support of all former and current agitators for you; President Muhammadu Buhari, if you can prove your administrations commitment towards the development of the Niger Delta by implementing our demands as contained in this statement.

But failure to meet these demands simply translates to our commencement of hostilities. We will frustrate the conduct of the 2019 general elections across the country if the demands are handled with kid gloves.

The group, however, called on presidential candidates in the forthcoming general elections to show the people of the region their blueprints for the development of the Niger Delta.

This is because at the moment, no policy document of any of the candidates clearly shows a concrete plan for the development of the Niger Delta before any of them can get our support, it said.

Source: NAN

Five heads of state, including the host Denis Sassou Nguesso of Congo Republic, are attending the one-day summit on peaceful election in the country.

It is a joint summit of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (ICGLR) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

The summit which opened in Brazzaville on Wednesday is on the elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Four other heads of state are attending the one-day summit namely, Angolas Joo Loureno, Namibias Judge Geingob, Zambias Edgar Lungu, and Mokgweetsi Masisi of Botswana.

DRC President Joseph Kabila was not present at the summit, and was not represented.

The purpose of the summit is to persuade the DRC authorities and the opposition a member country of the ICGLR and SADC to hold peaceful elections in the elections on Sunday December 30.

The DRC is holding its legislative, provincial and presidential elections, in keeping with the announcement made on December 20 by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Source: NAN

By Prudence Arobani

A group of 40 American millennials has embarked on a trip to Nigeria to experience first-hand, the limitless opportunities of the country.

The Director of Discover Gidi, organisers of the annual trip to Nigeria, Mr Ugo Obilo, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in New York that the group would be in Nigeria from Thursday to Jan. 2. 2019.

According to him, Nigeria has limitless opportunities for the millennial, aiming to have a great time, adding the trip will increase the number of people that have been to Nigeria.

Obilo said: We wanted to give them the opportunity to enjoy more of that in different ways with their friends, to see different things culturally.

As we started promoting things, a lot of non-Nigerians wanted to come as well. We started out because a lot of young Nigerians are not excited to go back to Nigeria.

So we wanted to give them the opportunity to go back with young crowd and enjoy and see Nigeria in a new way so that we can generate excitement about it again.

This is because our generation needs to be the one that is giving back to the community, being able to fund the economy in different ways.

But to our surprise, a lot of non-Nigerian millennials decided that they wanted to visit and travel there as well.

According to him, when the 2017 group visited Nigeria, it was made up of half Nigerians and half non-Nigerians and they had a very good time and enjoyed themselves.

Obilo said in 2018, when the organisers started promoting the trip, it was overwhelming that a lot of non-Nigerians wanted to come and see and experience Nigerian culture first-hand.

So we have about 40 people coming this year. Mostly, they are people that have never been to Nigeria, non-Nigerians themselves.

We have a well-structured itinerary, a good balance being able to see the culture, enjoy Nigerian nightlife, being able to see a lot of the historical aspects of the country as well.

We intend to go to the Badagry Slave Port, were going to have a cultural night at Terra Cotta, they are doing a Language Lesson, we have a day to go to the beach and enjoy.

Were going to Nike Art Gallery, were going to Lekki Conservation Centre, were going to different places on the Island to see the beaches in the Victoria Island, and a service day on the mainland.

He said the participants would also have a naming ceremony where each of them would elect to receive a traditional Nigerian name.

According to him, the idea is an effort to afford people of all backgrounds and nationalities the opportunity to experience the beauty of the African Diaspora.

Out of necessity, we wanted to change the conversation and eliminate reservations individuals have regarding travelling to Africa and African cities.

As a Nigerian, I wanted to be at the forefront of a movement that would encourage my peers to not only travel to Nigeria, but also lead them to invest in Nigerias future, he said.

Obilo said the annual trip was named Discover Gidi as a literal ode to the pre-existing beauty of Nigeria and Lagos, adding, the mission is to allow others to discover the beauty that Nigeria has to offer.

According to him, the trip sets out to appeal specifically to Nigerian-Americans looking to travel home in a curated group-trip format.

HR said there had been an influx of non-Nigerians particularly, millennials of different backgrounds, who wanted to see and experience Nigeria for the first time.

Source: NAN

President Donald Trump is considering an executive order to bar U.S. companies from using telecommunications equipment made by Chinas Huawei and ZTE, reports.

It would be the latest step by the Trump administration to cut two of Chinas biggest network equipment companies, Huawei Technologies Cos Ltd and ZTE Corp, out of the U.S. market.

The United States alleges that the two companies work at the behest of the Chinese government and that their equipment could be used to spy on Americans.

The executive order, which has been under consideration for more than eight months, could be issued as early as January and would direct the Commerce Department to block U.S. companies from buying equipment from foreign telecommunications makers that pose significant national security risks, sources from the telecoms industry and the administration said.

While the order is unlikely to name Huawei or ZTE, a source said it is expected that Commerce officials would interpret it as authorization to limit the spread of equipment made by the two companies. The sources said the text for the order has not been finalized.

The executive order would invoke the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, a law that gives the president the authority to regulate commerce in response to a national emergency that threatens the United States.

The issue has new urgency as U.S. wireless carriers look for partners as they prepare to adopt next generation 5G wireless networks.

The order follows the passage of a defense policy bill in August that barred the U.S. government itself from using Huawei and ZTE equipment.

Huawei and ZTE did not return requests for comment. Both in the past have denied allegations their products are used to spy. The White House also did not return a request for comment.

Source: NAN

By Prudence Arobani

Nigeria needs not less than 337 billion dollars to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from 2019 to 2022, the UN Support Plan for the Sahel has estimated.

According to the exchange rate by the Central Bank of Nigeria, the figure represents 103 trillion Naira, over 11 times more than the proposed N8.9 trillion Budget for 2019.

The cost of implementing the SDGs in Nigeria, according to the plan is 80.65 billion dollars in 2019, 82.83 billion dollars in 2020, 85.07 billion dollars in 2021 and 87.37 billion dollars in 2022.

On the investment needs in the Sahel, the plan reported the cost of implementing the SDGs in the Sahel is projected to be between 140.25 billion dollars and 157.39 billion dollars per year between 2019 and 2022 in the 10 Sahelian countries.

The plan said the 10 countries under the UN Integrated Strategy for the Sahel (UNISS) needed an average of 148.7 billion dollars annually to implement the SDGs or 594.8 billion dollars from 2018 to 2022.

The overarching goal of the Plan, targeting 10 countries; namely Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, The Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal, is to scale up efforts to accelerate shared prosperity and lasting peace in the region.

The Plan covering the period of 2098 to 2030, would help implement identified priorities to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the African Union Agenda 2063, the report said.

The plan, however, stated that public-sector funding gap, on average, remained at 36.2 per cent of the required resources.
UNISS was approved by the Security Council in 2013 and is a part of a preventive and integrated approach to strengthening governance, security and development in the region.

The plan noted that the Sahel is as much a land of opportunities as it is of challenges, and it is blessed with abundant human, cultural and natural resources, offering tremendous potential for rapid growth.

The plan aims at mobilising public resources and triggering private investments in the 10 countries in support of ongoing efforts and initiatives by governments, international and regional organisations, among other partners.

It said in terms of natural resources, the Sahel is one of the richest regions in the world and is abundant with oil, natural gas, gold, phosphates, diamonds, copper, iron ore, bauxite, biological diversity and precious woods, among many other assets.

These natural endowments offer immense value for economic diversification, value-chain development and livelihoods, the UN plan said.

The Sahel is also endowed with more potential for renewable energy such as solar and wind than other regions of the world, the UN plan showed.

Its solar energy potential translates to about 13.9 billion Kilowatt hours per year compared to the worlds electricity consumption of 20 million Kilowatt hours per year, according to 2016 data.

The Sahel is also the most youthful region of the world with 64.5 per cent of youth aged less than 25 years, meaning investments in education and vocational training could yield a demographic dividend.

Source: NAN

An American adventurer, Colin OBrady has become the first person to complete a solo trek across Antarctica without assistance of any kind.

OBrady, 33, took 54 days to complete the nearly 1,000-mile (1,600-kilometer) crossing of the frozen continent from north to south.

I accomplished my goal: to become the first person in history to traverse the continent of Antarctica coast to coast solo, unsupported and unaided, OBrady wrote in an Instagram post after covering the final 77.5 miles in 32 hours.

While the last 32 hours were some of the most challenging hours of my life, they have quite honestly been some of the best moments I have ever experienced, he wrote.

I was locked in a deep flow state the entire time, equally focused on the end goal, while allowing my mind to recount the profound lessons of this journey. Im delirious writing this as I havent slept yet.

His voyage was tracked by GPS, and live updates of the trip were provided daily on his website colinobrady.com.

OBrady and an Englishman, Army Captain Louis Rudd, 49, set off individually on November 3 from Union Glacier in a bid to be the first to complete a solo, unassisted crossing of Antarctica.

In 1996-97, a Norwegian polar explorer, Borge Ousland, made the first solo crossing of Antarctica but he was wind-aided by kites on his voyage.

OBrady and Rudd set off on cross-country skis dragging sleds called pulks which weighed nearly 400 pounds (180 kilograms).

OBrady reached the South Pole on December 12, the 40th day of his journey.

He arrived at the finish point on the Ross Ice Shelf on the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday after covering a total of 921 miles.

Rudd is about a day or two behind.

OBrady said he made the decision over breakfast to finish his journey in one continuous push.

As I was boiling water for my morning oatmeal, a seemingly impossible question popped into my head, OBrady wrote on Instagram. I wonder, would (it) be possible to do one straight continuous push all the way to the end?

By the time I was lacing up my boots the impossible plan had become a solidified goal, he said. Im going to push on and try to finish all 80 miles to the end in one go.

The New York Times described OBradys effort as among the most remarkable feats in polar history, ranking alongside the 1911 Race to the South Pole between Norways Roald Amundsen and Englands Robert Falcon Scott.

To complete the final 77.54 miles in one shot essentially tacking an ultra marathon onto the 53rd day of an already unprecedented journey set an even higher bar for anyone who tries to surpass it, the Times wrote.

In 2016, an English army officer, Lieutenant Colonel Henry Worsley, died while trying to complete an unassisted solo crossing of Antarctica.

Source: NAN

The All Progressives Congress has advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to dwell more on his agenda for the country, rather than dissipating energies on raising puerile allegations daily.

The party was reacting to Abubakars several attacks on President Buhari, where in one of them he accused unidentified relations of Buhari of buying up shares in Etisalat.

APC publicity secretary, Malam Lanre Isa-Onilu said Abubakar may be exhibiting early signs of depression, resulting from obvious frustration as he is unable to focus on his campaign.

Otherwise, Atiku should tell Nigerians why a discredited person like him should be elected as President instead of raising puerile allegations on a daily basis. President Muhammadu Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC), not his programmes for the country appear to be his main campaign issues.

Nigerians are desirous of campaign that focuses on issues that matter to them. For Atiku and his PDP co-travellers, the only interest is to grab power and continue where they stopped in their avarice.

The APC administration is eager to showcase the impressive achievements we have recorded in the last three and half years. This is the campaign that matters to us and this is what Nigerians are interested in.

The trajectory is exciting as we see a brighter future shaping up. We wont yield to the PDPs shenanigans. The obvious strategy of the PDP is to truncate the countrys journey towards economic buoyancy and social stability. We will not play the PDPs game. PDP is acting an anti-peoples script. President Buhari remains unshaken by the desperate efforts being made by Atiku and the PDP to blackmail the APC government. Everyone who was involved in corrupt practices would be brought to justice.

PDP is not offering any alternative to the progressive course this government is pursuing. It is actually apparent that the party is not contesting the 2019 elections to redeem itself, least of doing any good for the country, but simply to seize power to escape justice for the grievous crimes committed against the people of this country.

Nigerians wont be fooled by the rapacious PDP gang. Never!

Source: NAN

Agriculture is no doubt, a vast area of business that appears to have something for anyone who dares to foray into it. For the singular fact that food remains a ‘source of survival’ every man will always have recourse to, the market for agricultural produce will never go out of touch. It is however important that anyone who wishes to venture into the business know his/her particular area of interest – one that would eventually bring in some good profits. In view of this, we have elected to discuss some familiar areas of agricultural production that are presently making waves.

Crop cultivation
This is more like going back to the basics to create an impact on the society by providing crop produce people will feed on. The list of crops that can be cultivated – from vegetables to fruits, beans, rice and so on is certainly huge. Owing to this, you will need to commit some efforts into doing research on the crop(s) you intend to grow; knowing about the different varieties and the best condition to raise them among other things.

Fish farming
The need to have a good source of protein will always result in greater demand for fish. A host of (fish) species like catfish, tilapia, trout and so on are now being reared and bringing in good returns to those that have so invested in their production – but this is not to say that fish farming is not challenging though.

Mushroom Farming
Edible mushroom is a very good source of potassium and vitamins C & D, and its consumption is on the increase – even though the aspect of mushroom farming is yet to be optimally explored in this part of the world. It is worth noting that the production of edible mushroom is not even as capital intensive as some other (popular) aspects of agriculture but it is quite profitable nonetheless.

Piggery
Some persons may see pig rearing as a ‘dirty business’ but if someone could conclude that “‘shit business’ is serious business” with regard to the gains made then why should pig farming be turned down because of the issue of dealing with the waste generated. Pig farming is really lucrative and you can – provided you engage in it passionately – gain a whole lot from this very business. More so, aside rearing pigs for meat and other by-products [that can be gotten from them], the waste could fetch you some money as it can be utilized as organic manure. And FYI; pigs do not have to be raised in a dirty environment to keep up.

Poultry farming
Poultry farming is one of the most interesting areas of agriculture, and it comes so much good. If properly practiced, you should be among those smiling to the bank on regular basis. For one, the maturation period of most poultry birds is just 4-6 months and the array of products that could be gotten from a well-reared and/or healthy bird is yet another reason to consider this business.

Snail farming
Snail farming is not a tough task to undertake should you be a zealous/committed individual. With a good hygienic condition, the right temperature – between 150C and 250C and appropriate air humidity, raising snails should not give so much of a hectic time. And as you may be looking to rear snails for the meat, you should not overlook some other things produced by the snails. The slime from them is valuable in the cosmetics industry; some persons eat the eggs and snail’s blue blood (haemocyanin) has been reported to have medicinal purpose.

Livestock feed production
In case rearing animals or cultivating crops is not an activity you are willing to go into, the production of livestock feeds should make an appeal. All you need is a couple of machines, necessary ingredients and the know-how plus the market to sell your products, and you are in business.
There is no denying the fact that these aspects of agriculture [discussed in this article] are capable of fetching you good sum of money but getting the profits will only be a ‘pipe dream’ without the right attitude and commensurate effort. More so, the importance of research and staying up-to-date with latest happenings with regards to your area of focus cannot be overemphasized.