Former Anambra State Governor and ex-Senator representing Enugu East, Jim Nwobodo, has dismissed reports of tension in Nkanu land over a disputed estate in Enugu, describing the reports as misleading and part of an alleged campaign to tarnish his reputation.

Nwobodo, who served as governor of the old Anambra State and represented Enugu East in the Senate between 1999 and 2003, was reacting to a report published by ThisDay on Sunday, August 2, 2026, which alleged that tension had enveloped Nkanu land following a dispute involving prominent indigenes over the demolition of buildings belonging to Lagos-based businessman and investor, Dr Basil Ogbuanu, at an estate in Independence Layout, Enugu.

The former governor, who turned 86 in May, questioned the basis for the report, insisting that there was no tension in Nkanu over the matter.

“Anybody talking of tension or uneasy calm in Nkanu is talking nonsense. That person is a big liar. Nkanu is not somewhere in a cave or some undiscovered place on the earth. It is an existing and prominent community in Enugu State. Where is the tension that nobody else has heard of except the one man running from pillar to post in a futile attempt to save himself from the criminal case for which he is now being prosecuted by the police?” he said.

Nwobodo further claimed that no person from Nkanu had approached him concerning Ogbuanu or intervened in the dispute.

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“There is absolutely no tension anywhere in Nkanu land. Nobody from Nkanu has ever intervened or spoken to me about Ogbuanu. I challenge Ogbuanu to mention the name of anybody from Nkanu or elsewhere who has spoken to me about him,” he added.

The former governor said the dispute arose after Ogbuanu allegedly breached the terms under which he purchased a plot in the estate at Independence Layout.

According to Nwobodo, the estate was conceived as a low-density residential development with specific architectural standards and a quiet ambience, but Ogbuanu allegedly began developing structures that were inconsistent with the estate’s original plan.

He explained that buyers had initially been informed that physical development could not commence until the necessary documentation, approvals and planning processes were completed.

“This was supposed to be a small estate with a specific plan and model of prototype buildings. It was supposed to be a quiet ambience with few high-class residents. From the outset, I told him that the estate was not ready for physical structures yet and that nobody should start building until everything was ready,” Nwobodo said.

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He alleged that Ogbuanu subsequently began constructing student hostels within the estate, despite the purported agreement on the nature of the development.

Nwobodo also explained that the estate’s land title required recertification before individual plots could receive the appropriate documentation.

He said the original title obtained in the 1970s was a building lease and that the introduction of the Land Use Act in 1978 changed the system for issuing Certificates of Occupancy.

According to him, because the estate was covered by a global Certificate of Occupancy, individual plots would require subleases after the main title had been properly processed.

He added that the estate’s architectural and layout plans also had to be approved by the relevant authorities, including the Ministry of Lands and the Enugu Capital Territory Development Authority (ECTDA), before construction could begin.

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Nwobodo said buyers were informed of the process and were offered the option of waiting for the documentation to be completed or receiving refunds of their purchase prices.

He alleged that Ogbuanu later presented a Power of Attorney and Deed prepared in the name of a former company that, according to him, no longer held title to the property.

Nwobodo said Ogbuanu was advised either to wait for the recertification process or collect his money.

He further alleged that Ogbuanu told him and his wife that he had borrowed money from a Nigerian bank and needed documentation to show how the funds had been utilised.

According to Nwobodo, Ogbuanu later contacted him and his wife, pleading for assistance because the bank was demanding evidence relating to the loan.

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Nwobodo said he eventually agreed to sign the documents presented by Ogbuanu, while warning him to return them for replacement with authentic and legally appropriate title documents.

However, he alleged that Ogbuanu subsequently began constructing what he described as unauthorised structures, including hostels and a church, without obtaining the required approvals.

“As soon as Basil Ogbuanu got those documents, he disappeared and his next move was to start building illegal structures in the form of hostels and a church—building mass houses in the form of commercial properties in a high-brow, low-density location,” Nwobodo alleged.

He said other purchasers in the estate later complained that Ogbuanu’s activities were changing the character of the development and allegedly threatened to abandon their plots.

Nwobodo said the matter was subsequently reported to the relevant authorities, adding that officials of the Capital Territory Development Authority independently visited the estate and marked the structures for removal.

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He alleged that Ogbuanu ignored repeated warnings and continued with the construction.

“That is the simple story,” the former governor said.

Nwobodo, however, maintained that he remained willing to refund Ogbuanu the full amount he paid for the property.

“Did Ogbuanu tell the world that I have been telling him from the beginning to come and take back his money, the full payment, and that he has been running away? How come, out of all the people that bought land in the estate, he is the only one complaining?” he asked.

He challenged Ogbuanu to come forward and collect his money, saying he was even prepared to make the refund publicly.

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“I’m prepared to give him back his money, even if it is in public. Let him come and collect his money,” Nwobodo said.

The former governor said he regretted entering into a relationship with Ogbuanu despite being advised against it, but insisted that what he described as blackmail or media campaigns would not compel him to allow development that violated the estate’s regulations and would not affect the ongoing criminal case against Ogbuanu.

Nwobodo’s comments come amid the continuing dispute over the estate and allegations surrounding the development and demolition of structures on the property.

The Enugu State Council of Presidents-General of Town Unions has endorsed the member representing Enugu North and South Federal Constituency, Hon. Chimaobi Atu, for a second term.

The endorsement was announced on Tuesday when leaders of the council paid a courtesy visit to Atu at his residence in Ugwuaji in Enugu.

The Chairman of the Council, Chief Arinze Ogbodo, who led the delegation, said that the endorsement followed the Federal lawmaker impressive performance and people-oriented representation.

Ogbodo said the unanimous decision was a fall out of an assessment of Atu’s stewardship over the past three years, adding that he had delivered tangible benefits to communities across the constituency.

According to him, the lawmaker has distinguished himself through impactful constituency projects, infrastructure development, youth empowerment initiatives and educational interventions.

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“In just one term, your representation has been visible, impactful and people-centred.

“From infrastructure development and youth empowerment to educational interventions and other constituency projects, the people have witnessed purposeful leadership.

“This endorsement reflects our confidence in your ability to deliver even more in another term,” Ogbodo said.

Responding, Hon. Atu thanked the council for what he described as a strong vote of confidence, saying the endorsement would inspire him to redouble his efforts in serving the people of the constituency.

He reaffirmed his commitment to effective representation and sustained development, stressing that he had more to accomplish for his constituents.

“I am deeply humbled by this endorsement. It is a call to greater service, and I assure you that the job is not yet finished.

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“I remain committed to working harder to justify the trust and confidence our people have placed in me,” Atu said.

The Ebonyi State Government has intensified its enforcement against unsafe and dilapidated buildings across Abakaliki, the state capital, as part of efforts to prevent building collapses and protect lives and property.

The enforcement exercise was led by the Commissioner for Capital City Development and Urban Planning, Richard Ugo Idike, alongside the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Mrs Martina Obya; Head of Town Planning, Mrs Esther Nwite; and members of the state task force.

The inspection followed an earlier exercise conducted on July 7, during which owners and occupants of distressed buildings were served notices to vacate or demolish structures considered unsafe.

During the latest operation, officials inspected a one-storey building in Abakaliki identified as posing a significant safety risk.

Idike said the initial 21-day eviction notice issued to the occupants had expired, adding that, following an agreement with the property owner, demolition of the building would commence within the week.

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The task force also served a fresh 21-day eviction and removal notice on the owner of a deteriorating building on Liberty Street after determining that the structure was in critical condition.

Officials expressed concern that despite visible structural defects in some of the affected buildings, several families, including children, were still living in the premises.

Idike condemned the development and reiterated the state government’s commitment to preventing avoidable disasters arising from structural neglect.

He urged property owners to conduct regular structural integrity assessments on their buildings and strictly comply with the state’s town planning regulations.

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A female TikTok content creator at the centre of controversy surrounding the annual Oloolu Masquerade Festival in Ibadan, Oyo State, has denied filming the sacred Oloolu masquerade and dismissed reports that she died following the incident.

The woman, identified as Wasilat, made the clarification during a telephone interview on Lagelu FM’s Ibi Aye N Lo programme, hosted by Adesoye Omotosho, on Monday.

Wasilat said she only recorded and uploaded a video of people passing through the Oremeji area, insisting that the Oloolu masquerade was not involved.

“I am not dead. I did not capture the Oloolu masquerade. May I not be implicated; I did not record Oloolu,” she said.

According to her, she went to her shop after seeing people passing by the area and noticed an Amotekun vehicle.

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“Oloolu did not even pass through that route. So I filmed it and posted it on social media. Everyone in the TikTok comment section asked me to delete it,” she explained.

She said people later came to her shop over the video, adding that she did not understand why she had been accused of recording the sacred masquerade.

“I don’t know who came up with that agenda, but I know God will judge,” she said.

The controversy began after videos surfaced online showing Wasilat undergoing traditional cleansing rites at the Oloolu compound. Social media reports had claimed that she narrowly escaped death after allegedly filming the masquerade.

However, the spokesperson to the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Chief Adeola Oloko, said Wasilat did not actually record Oloolu but mistakenly captured Alawo Oloolu, a figure associated with the tradition.

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“She did not capture Oloolu; she mistook it for Alawo. We contacted the Mogaji of the Oloolu compound, and he confirmed that a woman who mistook Alawo of Oloolu for the real Oloolu masquerade captured it on the street,” Oloko said.

Oloko further claimed that the woman later developed health problems after uploading the footage, prompting her family to seek the intervention of traditional custodians.

He also said he could not confirm reports that Wasilat disguised herself as a man to secretly film the procession.

“I cannot confirm she disguised herself as a man. Those are accounts on social media. But she took the footage or photo on the street,” he added.

Videos from the reported cleansing ceremony showed Wasilat with her head shaved, dressed in red attire and surrounded by traditional worshippers. Giant African snails and a ram were reportedly presented during the rites, while another video appeared to show a goat being slaughtered.

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Ibadan-based content creator Ayo Adams, who visited the Oloolu compound, also reported that officials confirmed Wasilat was alive and recovering.

Adams said the woman had reportedly approached security operatives after experiencing health problems and was subsequently taken with her family to the Oloolu compound for traditional rites.

However, the Oyo State Police Command said it had no official record of the incident.

The command’s spokesperson, CSP Ayanlade Olayinka, said, “I have no information about the incident because it was not reported at any nearby police station.”

The annual Oloolu Festival is a major traditional event in Ibadan, attracting traditional rulers, worshippers, cultural enthusiasts and visitors from across Yorubaland.

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The festival features prayers, rituals, sacrifices, drumming, dancing and processions as part of traditional practices associated with honouring ancestors and seeking peace, protection, prosperity and communal wellbeing.

Former Speaker of the Abia State House of Assembly and APC House of Representatives candidate for Ikwuano/Umuahia, Rt. Hon. Chinedum Enyinnaya Orji, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s fiscal reforms are deliberately moving Nigeria away from oil dependence toward a tax-driven revenue economy.

In an opinion article titled “From Crude to Cash: How Tinubu’s Fiscal Reset Is Redefining Nigeria’s Revenue Economy”, Orji argued that the administration inherited a budget structure tied to crude oil prices and has begun rebuilding public finance through subsidy removal, digital tax collection and an expanded non-oil base.

> “Rather than wait for another oil boom to bail out the treasury, his administration chose to rebuild the plumbing of public finance: tax administration, digital collection, and a non-oil base wide enough to stand on even when barrels wobble,” Orji wrote.

He described the removal of petrol subsidy in May 2023 as the first step of the reset, stating that it increased Federation revenue from ₦16.8 trillion in 2023 to ₦31.9 trillion in 2024, according to data cited in the article.

Orji said allocations to states and local governments also rose sharply, from ₦6.16 trillion in 2023 to ₦15.26 trillion in 2024, giving subnationals more capacity to fund roads, schools and hospitals.

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The former Speaker said government complemented the subsidy savings with reforms to modernise tax administration through digital systems, data matching and compliance drives.

He noted that the reforms now target telecommunications, financial services, manufacturing, trade and the digital economy, including fintech companies, e-commerce platforms and content creators.

> “No economy grows sustainably when only oil companies and big banks pay taxes while millions of profitable businesses stay off the books,” he stated.

Orji cited improvements in fiscal indicators, including a narrowing deficit, stronger external reserves, and clearance of a $7 billion foreign exchange backlog, which he said reflected growing investor confidence.

He, however, acknowledged the immediate burden on households from higher transport, food and energy costs.

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> “The social contract of these reforms is still being negotiated. Households felt the pain first — higher transport, higher food, higher power bills. The promise is that the gains will be recycled into infrastructure, education, and health,” Orji wrote.

He said the success of the fiscal reset will depend on implementation and public trust, stressing that citizens must see tangible improvements in services.

> “Nigeria is still an oil country. But for the first time in a long time, it is budgeting like it might not always be,” he concluded.