Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Residents Fear Reprisals, Beg Govt, Security Agencies For Urgent Intervention Residents of Kaya village in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State have been thrown into panic after armed bandits imposed an ₦8 million levy on the community, following the killing of a notorious bandit commander during a recent security operation. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the threat, issued on Tuesday, was a reprisal over the death of one Isuhu Buzu, a feared bandit leader neutralised during a joint operation involving the Zamfara State Community Protection Guard and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force. Multiple sources in the area…

Nigeria’s internet consumption surged to an all-time high of 1.24 million terabytes in November 2025, the Nigerian Communications Commission has disclosed, underscoring the country’s deepening reliance on digital connectivity for business, education and entertainment. Latest industry data released by the telecoms regulator showed that the figure rose slightly from 1.235 million terabytes recorded in October, continuing a steady upward trend driven by expanding mobile broadband access and rising data demand nationwide. Industry analysts attributed the growth to increased smartphone penetration, wider deployment of 3G and 4G networks, limited rollout of 5G services in major cities, and Nigerians’ growing appetite for…

Five members of the Zamfara State House of Assembly elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC), citing insecurity, internal crises within their former party and alleged constitutional breaches in the Assembly. The lawmakers are Nasiru Abdullahi Maru (Maru North), Bashir Abubakar (Bukkuyum North), Bashir Bello (Bungudu West), Amiru Ahmad Keta (Tsafe West) and Muktar Nasir Kaura (Kaura North). Their defection letters were read on the floor of the House by the Speaker, Bilyaminu Moriki Gummi, during plenary on Tuesday. In a strong indictment of the current leadership of the…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused President Bola Tinubu of deliberately refusing to implement a binding Supreme Court judgment that guarantees direct allocation of funds to Nigeria’s 774 local government councils, describing the inaction as a “calculated political defiance” of the Constitution. Atiku, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), made the allegation on Wednesday in a statement posted on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, where he warned that the continued non-implementation of the judgment amounts to a breach of the President’s oath of office. The Supreme Court, on July 11, 2024, in a landmark…

…Says Unjust Taxes Will Worsen Hardship … Insists Rich, Corporations Must Pay More Daud Olatunji The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has called on Nigerians to resist and reject any tax law tainted by distortion, forgery or political manipulation, warning that such legislation would further erode public trust and deepen the country’s economic hardship. NLC President, Joe Ajaero, made the call in his 2025 Christmas message, insisting that only a transparent and people-oriented tax regime can command legitimacy and public confidence. Ajaero said alleged discrepancies and falsifications surrounding some tax policies were unacceptable, stressing that Nigerians must insist on tax justice…

The Igbo community in Sokoto State on Wednesday marked Christmas Day with detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, and other inmates at the Sokoto Correctional Centre, in what it described as a humanitarian outreach driven by compassion and communal responsibility. Members of the community visited the correctional facility, where they shared meals and fellowship with inmates, extending the Christmas celebration beyond the walls of their homes to those in custody. In a statement signed by the community’s leaders, Nze A. C. Madu and made available to journalists, the group said the gesture was inspired by…

The United States has carried out a targeted airstrike against fighters of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Sokoto State, North-West Nigeria, marking a rare but significant foreign military action on Nigerian soil in the ongoing war against terrorism. US President Donald Trump confirmed the operation in a post on Truth Social in the early hours of Friday, describing the strike as “powerful and deadly” and warning that the United States would continue to confront terrorist groups wherever they pose a threat. The US Africa Command (AFRICOM) later clarified that the strike was executed at the request of Nigerian authorities, underscoring…

The All Progressives Congress has dismissed claims by opposition figures who predicted famine, anarchy and state collapse in 2025, insisting that none of the grim forecasts materialised despite economic and security pressures faced by the country. The ruling party, in a Christmas message issued on Thursday by its Lagos State spokesman, Seye Oladejo, described Nigeria as “tested and pressured, yet unbroken,” saying the nation successfully navigated a year of difficult but necessary transitions. According to the APC, 2025 was marked by economic recalibration, security challenges, global headwinds and long-standing structural distortions inherited from previous administrations, all of which demanded sacrifice,…

The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ola Olukoyede, has said endemic corruption is stifling Nigeria’s growth and concealing the immense blessings God has bestowed on the country. Olukoyede stated this in Abuja on Wednesday while delivering his Christmas message to Nigerians, urging citizens to unite against corruption in order to unlock the nation’s true potential and prosperity. According to him, corruption remains one of the greatest obstacles to Nigeria’s development, undermining economic progress, eroding public trust and preventing the country from attaining the abundant life ordained for it. He said, “Corruption is a major drawback. It has…

The Presidency has firmly dismissed reports claiming that President Bola Tinubu has replaced the Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, with the Principal Private Secretary, Hakeem Muri-Okunola, describing the reports as false and misleading. The rebuttal followed the circulation of social media posts alleging that the President had effected a change in the leadership of his inner circle, with the claims attributed to unnamed “insider sources.” In a statement issued on Thursday, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, categorically denied the reports, insisting that no such reshuffle had taken place. Onanuga stated that Gbajabiamila remains…