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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assured residents of Abuja that the construction of the two service carriageways of the Southern Parkway will significantly ease traffic congestion, improve connectivity and accelerate development across the southern districts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Represented by the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, at the official flag-off of the project in Gaduwa District, Abuja, on Tuesday, the President described the initiative as a critical component of his administration’s infrastructure renewal programme and the implementation of the Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to him, “the Southern Parkway remains one of the most strategic corridors in the Abuja Master Plan, linking several districts across the southern axis of the capital city.”

“The Southern Parkway is a major route of the Southern Development Corridor. It starts from the Inner Southern Expressway in Phase One and terminates at the same corridor in Phase Four. When fully developed, it will enhance vehicular traffic circulation within the southern part of the city and provide vital inter-district connections across the Federal Capital Territory,” he said.

Tinubu noted that while the main carriageway, now known as the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Way, had already been completed and commissioned by the administration, the service lanes were necessary to complete the original vision for the corridor.

“These service carriageways are not a luxury. They are designed to ease access and improve mobility for our people. Residents of Durumi, Gudu, Gaduwa and the mass housing estates in Phase Two face heavy traffic congestion daily. When these service lanes are completed, travel time will reduce, businesses will save money and families will spend less time on the road. That is the dividend of democracy and the Renewed Hope Nigerians can see and feel,” he stated.

The President said the project formed part of a broader infrastructure revolution being pursued by his administration, citing completed and ongoing projects across the FCT, including the Arterial Road N20, now named Professor Wole Soyinka Way, the N16 Interchange linking Jahi and Gwarimpa, and road networks in Kuje, Gwagwalada and Mabushi.

He commended the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, for what he described as exceptional leadership and commitment to delivering infrastructure projects.

“Mr. Wike, you have truly earned the name ‘Mr. Projects.’ Since assuming office, you have revived abandoned projects, set clear targets and delivered them in record time. You have brought discipline, vision and political will to the administration of the FCT. Nigerians are seeing the transformation and feeling its impact,” he said.

Tinubu also lauded the Minister of State for FCT, Dr. Mariya Mahmoud, and the entire FCT Administration for maintaining quality standards and ensuring effective project supervision.

Addressing residents of affected communities, the President appealed for patience during the construction period, acknowledging that diversions, traffic delays and temporary inconveniences would accompany the works.

“To the contractor, CGC Nigeria Limited, we expect speed but we demand quality. Employ our youths, train our artisans and ensure this project becomes a source of jobs and skills acquisition for Nigerians,” he added.

Earlier, FCT Minister Nyesom , Barr. Wike dismissed concerns that infrastructure development in the territory could slow down because of the approaching election season, insisting that the administration remained focused on completing ongoing projects.

“Today is our 10th day of commissioning projects, but some people have asked whether projects will now be abandoned because elections are approaching. The answer is no. Elections or no elections, we must continue implementing the directive of Mr. President to transform the Federal Capital Territory,” Wike said.

The minister expressed confidence that Abuja’s landscape would be significantly transformed before the end of Tinubu’s first term in office.

“By the time Mr. President finishes his first tenure on May 29, 2027, before he is sworn in for a second tenure, the landscape of Abuja would have entirely changed, by the grace of God,” he declared.

Wike disclosed that he had personally engaged the management of CGC Nigeria Limited on the project timeline and received assurances that the contractor would work round the clock to deliver the project, provided government fulfilled its funding obligations.

“I want this road commissioned before we go into the elections in January 2027. I assure CGC Nigeria Limited that the FCT Administration will not fail in its obligation to pay for the work done. We have confidence in your capacity because this is not the first challenging project you have successfully delivered,” he said.

The minister also issued a stern warning against illegal developments and land grabbing along the project corridor, directing officials of the Development Control Department and Lands Department to identify and remove structures erected on lands not legally allocated.

“Those who have forged documents and encroached on government land should know that it will not work. Any illegal structure along the corridor will be removed. We must protect the integrity of the Abuja Master Plan,” he warned.

In his technical presentation, Acting Executive Secretary of the Federal Capital Development Authority (FCDA), Engr. Richard Yunana Dauda, explained that the contract for the construction of the two service carriageways was awarded to CGC Nigeria Limited in May 2026 and that the contractor had already mobilised to site.

He said the project covers approximately three kilometres of dual service roads, construction of two river bridges, drainage facilities, culverts and street lighting infrastructure.

According to Dauda, the Southern Parkway serves as the vehicular spine of the Southern Development Corridor and will provide seamless inter-district connectivity from the Central Area to Phase Four districts of the city.

“When completed, the project will significantly reduce the heavy traffic congestion currently experienced on roads such as Shehu Yar’Adua Way, Oladipo Diya Way and other connecting routes serving Durumi, Gudu, Gaduwa and Duboyi districts,” he said.

Delivering the vote of thanks, Acting Head of Service of the FCT Administration, Mrs. Nancy Sabanti Nathan, expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for approving the project and to stakeholders whose support made the initiative possible.

She described the project as a critical intervention that would ease traffic congestion, improve transportation efficiency and stimulate economic activities in the affected districts.

Nathan also urged the contractor to maintain the highest standards of quality and safety while adhering strictly to the agreed delivery timelines.

The Southern Parkway service carriageways project is expected to further open up the southern development corridor of Abuja, improve access to emerging residential districts and strengthen the capital city’s transportation infrastructure as part of the Federal Government’s urban renewal drive.

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A 15-year-old girl from Groningen in the Netherlands was arrested after her parents, Johan and Mathilda, both 53, were found f@tally stabbed last Thursday, June 18, Dutch outlet Algemeen Dagblad reported.

The family’s pet golden retriever also suffered stab wounds in the rampage, the Sun reported.

The dog’s condition is unclear.

The girl took images of her slain parents and then shared the disturbing photos with her friends on WhatsApp after the bloody attack, the Telegraaf reported.

“You could see both of her parents lying on the ground with their eyes open. Her father was lying on the floor, and her mother was on the bed. There was blood visible and a knife,” one student told the outlet in Dutch.

Local police declined to comment further on the images, but encouraged people to never distribute such images online and report them to the police, the reports said.

The girl reportedly struggled with her identity and often pretended to be a dog, crawling around and barking on all fours with other friends in school corridors.

“She wore a tail, dog ears, and gloves,” another classmate told the outlet. “And sometimes she would make barking sounds.”

Johan and Mathilda’s relatives said in a statement obtained by Algemeen Dagblad that they “can hardly comprehend” the murd£rs.

‘We hope that everyone understands that we are deeply affected by the tragic events surrounding the passing of Johan and Mathilda from Meerstad,” family and friends said in a statement through an aid organization.

“But the support and sympathy we have received from many do us good and are heartwarming.”

An investigation into the slayings remains ongoing.

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Ogun State Police Command says it has recovered the Lexus RX300 stolen from the home of slain ex-OGTV broadcaster Mrs Kitan Oyesiku and her security guard in Iyana Agodo Village, Owode-Egba.

The recovery happened during night operations, the command confirmed Monday.

—CP walks the scene himself—

Commissioner of Police Bode Ojajuni visited the crime scene for an on-the-spot assessment. He inspected the premises and got briefings from detectives handling the case.

“CP Ojajuni reiterated the Command’s resolve to leave no stone unturned in unraveling the circumstances surrounding the incident and ensuring that those responsible are identified, apprehended, and brought to justice,” Police PPRO Oluseyi Babaseyi said in a statement.

The visit, according to police, was to evaluate progress in the investigation into the double murder that has rattled the Owode-Egba community.

—What happened that night—

PUNCH Online had reported that a resident raised the alarm over suspicious movements around Oyesiku’s residence. When operatives arrived, they found signs of forced entry.

Inside, the security guard was found dead at his post. Oyesiku’s body was later discovered inside the apartment. Her Lexus RX300 was missing.

Police now say the vehicle has been secured and will serve as key evidence. “It is worthy of note that the vehicle earlier reported missing from the residence, a Lexus RX300, has been recovered by police operatives during the night hours,” Babaseyi confirmed.

—“Intensive investigation ongoing”–

Ojajuni commiserated with Oyesiku’s family and assured Ogun residents that “all available resources are being deployed to track down the perpetrators.”

For now, no arrests have been announced. But with the car recovered and the CP personally monitoring the case, police say they’re closing in.

Oyesiku, a retired broadcaster with Ogun State Television, was remembered by colleagues as a calm voice on air. Her death, alongside her guard’s, has renewed calls for better security for elderly residents living alone in semi-urban areas. [The Punch report rewritten]