Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji An Abeokuta-based philanthropist and businesswoman, Mrs Modupe Idowu, has brought relief and joy to over 200 vulnerable children and elderly residents as the TemmyMo Welfare Initiative hosted the fourth edition of its annual Christmas party in Ogun State. The outreach, held on Thursday, in Abeokuta, saw beneficiaries receive bags of rice, assorted food items, gifts and cash support, as part of efforts to cushion the impact of the prevailing economic hardship and make the Yuletide meaningful for the less privileged. Mrs Idowu, a retired journalist, said the initiative was founded in memory of her late husband, Mr Temitope…

… Caretaker Committee Assumes Full National Control … Rival INEC Recognition Claims Dismissed As False … State Congresses Fixed For January 9, 2026 Daud Olatunji The power tussle within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) escalated on Thursday, as a Wike-backed National Working Caretaker Committee formally took over the party’s affairs nationwide, dissolving state working committees in 14 states and asserting exclusive control of the opposition party’s structures. Rising from a meeting in Abuja, the caretaker committee declared itself the only legitimate authority within the PDP, insisting that its actions were sanctioned by the party leadership and the Board of…

Wema Bank has unveiled the Top 20 finalists for its flagship innovation programme, Hackaholics 6.0, following a rigorous two-day pre-pitch event held on December 16 and 17, 2025. The finalists emerged from thousands of technology-driven ideas submitted by young innovators across the country, underscoring the growing depth of Nigeria’s digital and entrepreneurial talent. Hackaholics, launched by Wema Bank to identify, nurture and scale solutions to real-life challenges, was expanded this year into two competitive streams — the Hackathon and the Ideathon — to accommodate both solution builders and idea developers. From the Hackathon stream, the finalists are Rapid DEV, Secure…

Former Anambra State Governor and ex-Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, made a dramatic return to the political limelight on Thursday, attending the All Progressives Congress (APC) caucus meeting at the State House, Abuja, just hours after his release from Kuje Correctional Facility. Ngige, who had been remanded by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged corruption charges, was granted bail earlier in the day after meeting all conditions set by the court. Eyewitnesses said the former governor arrived at the State House Conference Centre shortly after President Bola Tinubu, but was initially held back by…

A 23-year-old man, Abdulazeez Abubakar, has been arrested for allegedly stabbing his 20-year-old childhood friend, Sadiq Sani, to death following an argument over satchet water, popularly known as ‘pure water’. Both men, residents of Adamawa Road in Dutsen-Kura-Hausa Area, Minna, Niger State, reportedly clashed while preparing for Maghrib prayers, according to eyewitnesses. One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the disagreement started as a minor argument over water intended for ablution but quickly escalated into a violent confrontation. During the altercation, Abdulazeez allegedly pulled out a sharp object and stabbed Sadiq, inflicting fatal injuries. Despite efforts to save…

Four members of a notorious nine-man kidnapping syndicate that terrorised residents of Ikot Abasi and neighbouring communities in Rivers State have been sentenced to death by hanging by an Akwa Ibom State High Court. The convicts—Marvelous Ndah, 38, of Ikot Iyire, Edemaya; Anthony Anthony Akpan, 37, of Ekput, Ibiono Ibom; Aniema Eshiet, 34, of Oborenyin, Ikot Abasi; and Onyebule Gift Ogbonna, 41, of Omuma, Rivers State—were found guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy. Justice Archibong Archibong, who presided over the case, delivered the verdict after the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the men were responsible for the abduction and subsequent…

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has raised the alarm over alleged clandestine alterations in Nigeria’s newly gazetted tax laws, warning that the development, if proven, constitutes a grave breach of the Constitution and a threat to democratic governance. The Islamic body expressed concern over what it described as disturbing discrepancies between tax reform bills duly passed by the National Assembly and the versions later gazetted and presented to the public. Its position followed allegations raised on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday by Abdulsamad Dasuki, who claimed that clauses not debated or approved by…

Fresh revelations by the daughters of late former President Muhammadu Buhari have cast new light on the inner workings of his administration, suggesting both bureaucratic manipulation at the highest level and the former president’s awareness of public dissatisfaction. In From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a new biography by Charles Omole, Fatima Buhari, a forensic auditor and daughter of the late president, alleged that several official documents carried forged signatures of her father during his tenure. She claimed to have personally reviewed suspicious documents and presented them to Buhari, who was reportedly concerned about the integrity of…

There was panic on Wednesday morning at the Ebonyi State Police Command headquarters in Abakaliki as an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ogbon-Inu Taiwo Popoola, slumped and died during a management meeting. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred at about 10:30am while a routine management meeting was ongoing at the office of the Commissioner of Police. Popoola, who was the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department, was said to have suddenly developed breathing difficulties and began gasping for breath in the presence of other senior officers. Sources within the command disclosed that the meeting was…

The Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on Thursday dismissed an application by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), seeking bail from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Justice Babangida Hassan, in his ruling, held that Malami’s continued detention by the anti-graft agency was lawful, having been carried out pursuant to a valid remand order earlier granted by a court of coordinate jurisdiction. The ruling was disclosed in a statement issued by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale. Malami, through his counsel, Sulaiman Hassan (SAN), had urged the court to grant…