By Wumi Tewogbade,Abuja

Vice President of Boardwalk Group and Abuja-based real estate developer, Chief Obiageli Okwubanego, on Wednesday, commended the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, for completing the 16.4-kilometre Nawfija–Ajali–Ufuma–Ogbunka Road in Orumba South Local Government Area.

She gave the commendation while speaking with journalists in Abuja.

She said residents in that area testified that the project has transformed transportation, agriculture and economic activities across the axis.

Okwubanego described the road project as a major infrastructure breakthrough that has drastically reduced travel time and eased movement for motorists and residents within the affected communities.

She recalled that the appeal for the road was first made in 2019 when Soludo attended the funeral mass of her mother, Chief Mrs. Agnes Igwenagu Okeke.

According to her, the deplorable state of the road at the time made movement extremely difficult for mourners and guests attending the burial ceremony.
“When Professor Soludo later declared interest in contesting for governor, I went back to my people and urged them to support him with the assurance that the road would be done. I also appealed to him to extend the road project to Ogbunka, my mother’s hometown,” she said.

She noted that the newly completed road has reduced travel time by about two hours and now serves as an alternative route to the traffic-prone Umunze Roundabout.

Travellers heading towards Umuaku in Abia State, as well as Okigwe and Ndi-Iziogu areas of Imo State, now use the route to avoid traffic congestion.

“For Christmas, Easter, August meetings, marriages and other celebrations, people can now travel home with ease and in large numbers,” she stated.
Okwubanego described the project as part of Soludo’s broader infrastructure and economic transformation agenda across Anambra State.

According to her, the road has enhanced the movement of goods and services within the communities and improved economic activities in the area.
“Governor Soludo’s solution agenda has positively impacted our communities and brought remarkable transformation to the entire Orumba South Local Government Area,” she said.

She further noted that residents of Nawfija community had never experienced a tarred road before the intervention of the Soludo administration.

“Since I started visiting Nawfija community years ago, the residents had never enjoyed a tarred road. Soludo, through compassionate and selfless leadership, has now provided the people with their first properly constructed road,” she added.

Highlighting the economic importance of the project, Okwubanego said the road has significantly boosted agricultural activities in the area, especially palm oil production.

She explained that the adjoining communities are predominantly farming settlements responsible for a substantial share of palm oil production in Orumba South Local Government Area.

“The famous Onuoigbo palm plantation, which spans over 20 hectares, is located along this road corridor in Nawfija, and the improved road network will greatly support the movement of farm produce,” she explained.

On tourism potential, she said the road would also increase access to the popular Ozi Stream, known for fishing and irrigation activities, thereby attracting more visitors and commercial activities.

“With easier access to the famous Ozi Stream, human and business activities in the area will rise significantly,” she noted.

Okwubanego also reaffirmed her emotional attachment to Nawfija community, saying her passion for the people inspired her continuous commitment to their welfare and development.

“My dear Nawfija community means so much to me, which is why I personally pleaded with His Excellency to give us this road. My passion for the community will always push me to look out for their welfare,” she said.

By Wumi Tewogbade, Abuja

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on Wednesday, condemned the attack on a church gathering in Eda Oniyo Ekiti, where gunmen reportedly killed a Pastor and abducted several worshippers during an open-air crusade.

This was stated in a statement issued by President, CAN, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, in Abuja.

The Christian body demanded for immediate arrest and prosecution of the culprits and rescue of those kidnapped.

He described this latest attack as a brutal assault on shared humanity and the sanctity of life.

And it is deeply disturbing and unacceptable.

He mourned with the family of the slain Pastor and stand in full solidarity with the victims and the entire Christian community in Ekiti State

The statement reads, “We condemn this heinous act in the strongest possible terms. People had gathered peacefully to worship God, and they were met with violence. This is not just an attack on a church; it is a brutal assault on our shared humanity and the sanctity of life.

“We mourn with the family of the slain Pastor and stand in full solidarity with the victims and the entire Christian community in Ekiti State. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been taken, and we call for their immediate and safe release.

“This latest tragedy comes amid a disturbing pattern of attacks. Only recently, gunmen struck communities in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting residents including clergy, their families, and other community members. These repeated incidents underscore a deepening security crisis that can no longer be ignored.

“This attack further heightens concerns about the safety of lives and the protection of communities. No one should have to live in fear, and no place of worship must ever become a hunting ground for criminals.

“We must be unequivocal: the protection of lives and property is the primary responsibility of government. We call on the authorities and security agencies to act swiftly, decisively, and transparently. Those responsible for this atrocity must be apprehended and brought to justice without delay. Every necessary effort must be made to rescue those abducted unharmed.

“We also urge the government to immediately strengthen security presence, especially in vulnerable and rural communities, and to deploy proactive intelligence measures to prevent further attacks”.

He noted, “At the same time, we must all speak out firmly. The killing of a Pastor and the abduction of worshippers gathered to commune with their Creator is deeply troubling. It reflects a grave disregard for life, for faith, and for the moral fabric of our society.

“We have a duty to communicate these concerns clearly, firmly, and without equivocation to the appropriate authorities. Nigeria must not normalise the killing of worshippers or the abduction of innocent citizens in places of refuge.

“May God comfort the bereaved, protect those in captivity, and restore peace and security to our land”.

By Son Tertsea, Abuja

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Olanipekun Olukoyede, has raised the alarm that 6 of 10 Nigerian university students are becoming fraudsters neck deep particularly in cybercrime.

According to Daily Trust on Tuesday, Olukoyede said this at the 8th Biennial Conference of the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities held in Kano, where he described the trend as alarming and a threat to the country’s future.

“My research in the last one year has shown that about six out of 10 students in our universities are into cybercrime. It is a very disturbing situation,” he said.

According to him, findings from investigations and field operatives of the commission revealed that many suspects arrested for cyber-related offences are students, with some allegedly going as far as placing their lecturers on payroll to compromise academic processes.

He regretted the deeper implications of the development on the university system, including weak oversight and administrative vulnerabilities.

He cited the Lagos situation where 792 suspects allegedly arrested for involvement in a transnational cybercrime syndicate were mostly undergraduates.

He said the operation, which was supported by artificial intelligence tools, exposed the scale and sophistication of cybercrime networks operating within and beyond Nigeria.

Olukoyede also expressed concern over the growing trend of “Yahoo Plus,” where internet fraud is combined with fetish practices, warning that the phenomenon poses both moral and security risks.

He called on university management and councils to rise up to this challenge.

“A university that lacks financial accountability cannot credibly train future professionals. The integrity of our universities is a matter of national security,” he said.

The EFCC chairman advocated the deployment of artificial intelligence in university governance to improve transparency and detect fraud, noting that many institutions still rely on manual systems prone to abuse.

He said AI tools could be deployed for fraud detection, payroll management, procurement monitoring and safeguarding academic integrity, including identifying irregular payments and suspicious transactions in real time.

Olukoyede added that while the EFCC has begun integrating AI into its investigations, including digital forensics and financial tracking, such technologies should complement, not replace, human oversight.

He further urged universities to invest in digital infrastructure and build capacity in cyber security, machine learning and digital governance, stressing the need for stronger collaboration between institutions, regulators and anti-corruption agencies to tackle emerging threats.