The Anambra State Police Command has intensified security operations across identified flashpoints and suspected criminal hideouts in the state.

The operation, involving joint security operatives in sustained bush-combing and clearance exercises, is aimed at flushing out criminal elements and dismantling their operational bases.

In a statement released on Saturday, the command’s spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the operation formed part of the command’s proactive, intelligence-driven strategy to deny criminal elements safe havens, disrupt their networks and prevent crimes, including kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent activities.

According to him, it forms part of a sustained security strategy aimed at consolidating existing gains and protecting lives and property.

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He said: “The operation, led by the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, ACP Harrison Oruruo, involves personnel of other security agencies and Aguanachemba operatives.

“It forms part of the Command’s proactive, intelligence-driven strategy to deny criminal elements safe havens, disrupt their networks and prevent crimes, including kidnapping, armed robbery and other violent activities.

“During the exercise, security operatives are systematically combing identified forest areas, bushes and other suspected hideouts, while maintaining effective operational coordination to ensure comprehensive coverage and prevent criminal elements from regrouping or relocating to other areas.”

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Meanwhile, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, CP Nnanna Ama, has reaffirmed the command’s commitment to sustaining the offensive against criminal elements through intelligence-led policing, inter-agency collaboration and continuous security operations across the state.

The CP emphasised that the operations were not a one-off exercise but part of a sustained security strategy aimed at consolidating existing gains, protecting lives and property, and ensuring that residents could go about their lawful activities without fear or intimidation.

He further assured residents that the command would maintain the operational momentum until criminal elements and their activities were effectively curtailed.

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…Awolowo Dosumu calls for greater collaboration among stakeholders

…Awo gave us free education, his daughter is promoting free digital education —Varsity Pro Chancellor

…Odu’a Foundation’s Byte Busters expands to 20 centres across South-West

It was a parade of talent and skills on Friday in Ibadan as students from public secondary schools across the South-West gathered at the University of Ibadan to demonstrate digital applications they had developed.

Two schools developed applications to combat terrorism and banditry, while other projects targeted internet scams, examination malpractice and challenges in social interaction, learning and assessment.

Students of Aramoko District Commercial Secondary School, who came first, designed a mobile application that provides users with a quick and accessible means of seeking assistance when faced with kidnapping, banditry and other security emergencies.

The app also enables users to share their locations with trusted contacts.

Presenting the application at the second Byte Busters Coding Club Showcase, held on Friday at the International Conference Centre, University of Ibadan, the Aramoko school team leader, Johnny Pius said it was developed to help tackle kidnapping, banditry and other crimes.

The 2026 showcase was organised under the Digital Education for Innovation and Economic Development (DEFINED) Project of the Odu’a Investment Foundation.

The school team leader added that the app would enable users to establish communication with trusted contacts and obtain assistance when in danger.

“The Safe Guardian App is a personal safety companion that allows users to make quick responses when they find themselves in emergency situations. It is designed to enable users to share their live locations with their trusted contacts whenever they are in danger,” he said.

Pius said the application was also intended to help curb kidnapping, banditry and other security threats by providing a safer means of calling for help.

“Safety is important, so having a mobile device application like the Safe Guardian App on your phone provides a safer way of asking for assistance and calling for help when you find yourself in an emergency situation,” he said.

Other projects featured at the showcase included an artificial intelligence-powered computer-based test platform; Tomato AI, which explores technological solutions in agriculture; an emergency response system; a sign language application; and an AI-powered marketplace for local traders.

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The students also presented solutions aimed at reducing post-harvest losses in maize production, as well as a Yoruba-English translation application.

The projects demonstrated how students were applying digital skills acquired through the programme to address challenges in education, agriculture, commerce, communication and public safety.

In her remarks, the Chairman of the Advisory Council of the Odu’a Investment Foundation, Ambassador Olatokunbo Awolowo Dosumu, said the increasing sophistication of the students’ projects demonstrated the importance of giving young people opportunities to help shape the digital future.

While commending the pivotal role of the DEFINED Project director, Professor Seun Kolade, she said the foundation remained committed to expanding access to technological education, particularly among public school pupils.

“Our young people are growing up in a world in which artificial intelligence, digital platforms and new technologies will shape how they learn, work, communicate and create,” she said.

“It is therefore not enough for them to become passive users of technologies developed elsewhere. We must give them the confidence and capability to participate actively in shaping the digital future.

“I am especially delighted by the continued expansion of the programme and by the increasing sophistication of the projects being developed by the students. From applications addressing learning and accessibility to ideas connected with agriculture, commerce, public safety and indigenous language, these young people are showing us what becomes possible when talent is given opportunity.

“The foundation has also widened its approach through the Digital Literacy Training for Teachers programme, recognising that sustainable transformation in education must include those who stand in our classrooms every day.

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“By equipping teachers with practical digital skills and using a train-the-trainer model, we are building capacity that can multiply far beyond the first cohort.

“The success of Byte Busters should strengthen our determination to reach more pupils, particularly in underserved communities. There are many more children across our region with the same curiosity and potential as those presenting here today. What they need is access.”

She, therefore, called on the six owner states, corporate partners, philanthropists, old students’ associations and friends of the foundation to deepen their support for the initiative.

The Chairman of Odu’a Investment Company Limited, Dr Tola Kasali, represented by a director of the company, described the programme as an investment in human capital and the future economic development of the South-West.

He said the region’s future prosperity depended partly on the quality of education, skills and opportunities available to its young people.

According to him, digital education has become essential in preparing young people for the demands of a knowledge-driven global economy.

Kasali noted that the Byte Busters Coding Club exposed public secondary school students to coding, artificial intelligence, computational thinking and digital creativity, enabling them to develop practical solutions to societal challenges.

He also called for stronger collaboration among governments, educational institutions, the private sector, technology companies and community organisations to bridge the digital skills gap.

In his address, the Project Director of DEFINED, Professor Seun Kolade, said the quality of the projects showed that public school pupils could become creators of technology when given the necessary exposure and opportunities.

Kolade disclosed that the programme, which began last year with approximately 100 pupils from nine centres, had expanded to 20 centres across the six South-West states, covering 18 local government areas.

He said more than 4,500 learners had benefited from the initiative, while over 220 pupils were expected to participate in this year’s showcase.

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He said the programme’s progress had shifted attention from whether public school pupils could acquire digital skills to how many more children could be reached.

“The question now is bigger: how many of our children are we prepared to give this opportunity, and how boldly are we prepared to invest in their capacity to shape the future?” he said.

According to him, the projects reflected a transition from access to technology to the ability to use it independently, with young people moving beyond learning how technology works to applying it to real-life problems.

He cited the students’ innovations in agriculture, communication, education and commerce as evidence of the possibilities that could emerge when young people were encouraged to experiment and create.

Kolade stressed that teaching children to code went beyond producing future programmers, noting that it also developed critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration and resilience.

He called on governments, businesses, old students’ associations, philanthropists and diaspora communities to support the programme’s expansion by providing computers, internet connectivity, learning facilities, equipment and sustained funding.

Kolade disclosed that 72 teachers from the six South-West states participated in the first cohort of the teacher training programme, with 67 successfully completing it.

He said the programme adopted a train-the-trainer model to enable participating teachers to transfer their knowledge to other educators in their communities, with a target of training 3,000 teachers by the end of the year.

He said the next phase of the initiative would focus on reaching more schools and communities, stressing that access to digital education should not be determined by geographical location or economic background.

The organisers said the programme was designed to equip young people with the skills and confidence to contribute to technological innovation and economic development in Nigeria and across Africa.

In his remarks, the Pro-Chancellor of Emmanuel Alayande University of Education, Professor Ayoade Ogunkunle, called for greater investment in digital education at both primary and secondary school levels.

He said it was instructive and worthy of note that Chief Obafemi Awolowo introduced free education in Western Nigeria and his daughter, Dr Awolowo Dosumu currently leads efforts that promote free digital education in the region.

He added that stakeholders needed to build on the educational legacy of Chief Awolowo and others who had transformed the sector.

Ogunkunle also urged the students to seize the opportunity to advance in their chosen careers.

Speaking in the same vein, Mr Kunle Shodein urged the students to keep abreast of global technological developments.

“The world is moving on. This initiative shows that the South-West is moving in the right direction,” he said.
(TRIBUNE)

The Director of the Abuja Leadership Centre, University of Abuja, Prof. Abdul Hamid Ozohu-Suleiman, has said Nigeria needed young people who could transform ideas into businesses, knowledge into innovation and leadership into service.

Ozohu-Suleiman, spoke at a Youth Leaders’ Clinic for the South-South Zone, held over the weekend in Benin City, Edo State, with students from more than 15 primary and secondary schools in attendance.

The don said the clinic was deliberately designed to equip emerging leaders, particularly secondary school prefects, with the knowledge, mindset and skills needed to lead effectively in their schools, communities and beyond.

Ozohu-Suleiman urged young Nigerians, particularly those in the South-South regionto explore opportunities beyond oil by harnessing the enormous potential in agriculture, fishing, maritime transportation, logistics, technology, tourism, manufacturing, creative industries and entrepreneurship.

“We need young people who can look at agriculture and see opportunities for agribusiness. We need young people who can look at waterways and see opportunities in maritime transportation, fishing and tourism. We need young people who can look at technology and see opportunities for innovation and employment.

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“We need young people who can look at community challenges and develop practical solutions. Above all, we need young people who understand that natural resources alone do not develop societies. People with vision, competence, integrity and responsible leadership do,” he said.

The director urged young leaders in the South-South to develop the capacity not only to identify the challenges facing the region but also to design practical solutions to them.

He noted that the South-South had contributed significantly to Nigeria’s economy and was endowed with natural resources and human potential capable of driving entrepreneurship, technological advancement and innovation.

“Our young people in the South-South have a significant responsibility. You come from a region that has contributed enormously to Nigeria’s economy. You come from communities blessed with natural resources and human potential, and you live in an environment where entrepreneurship, technology and innovation can create new opportunities.

“The question before you is: what will you do with these opportunities? Will you simply wait for opportunities to come to you, or will you develop the capacity to create opportunities for yourselves and others?” he asked.

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Ozohu-Suleiman reiterated the need for young people to develop innovative ideas and use their knowledge and leadership skills to address societal challenges.

“As representatives of the University of Abuja and the Abuja Leadership Centre, we believe that investing in youth leadership is investing in the future prosperity of Nigeria,” he added.

Earlier, in his welcome address, the South-South Zonal Coordinator, Emmanuel Osilama, described the gathering as “a deliberate investment in the future of our youths and our nation.”

Osilama said the Abuja Leadership Centre Youth Leaders’ Clinic was an empowerment initiative designed to bridge the gap between academic knowledge and practical leadership.

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He added that the initiative sought to inspire young people, build their confidence, strengthen their leadership capacity and equip them with the values, skills and mindset required to become responsible citizens and effective leaders.

“We recognise that the future of any society depends largely on the quality of its young people.

“However, young people need more than certificates and academic qualifications. They need mentorship, exposure, practical skills, ethical values and opportunities to discover and develop their potential.

“This is where the Youth Clinic becomes especially important. Through meaningful engagement, mentorship, leadership education and interaction with experienced professionals and public office holders, we aim to prepare our youths to become problem-solvers, innovators, entrepreneurs, community builders and responsible leaders,” he said.