Author: Platform Times Newspaper

As Muslim and Christian faithful across Ogun State begin their respective holy seasons of Ramadan and Lent, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has urged residents to embrace love, unity, and compassion. Obasanjo, speaking on Wednesday, described the period as a sacred time for reflection, tolerance, and spiritual devotion to God. She emphasized the need for Nigerians to extend kindness to the less privileged. “The holy month of Ramadan is a sacred period of fasting that calls for reflection and devotion to draw closer to Almighty God. “We must show love and compassion among ourselves,”…

Fawaz Adebisi, a reporter with deep roots at Platform Times, has been nominated for the Patsy Robertson Award for Outstanding Communications Skills in Advancing Community Development and Peace, a distinguished category of the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards. The recognition, drawn from 977 applicants across the Commonwealth, celebrates young journalists who harness media to promote social justice, accountability, and community development. Adebisi’s nomination underscores the impact of investigative journalism in shaping public discourse. He rose through the ranks from campus journalism to leading professional exposés on poverty, social neglect, and systemic challenges. As a team member of  the Investigative Desk at…

President Bola Tinubu has signed an executive order mandating that all oil and gas revenues be paid directly into the Federation Account, stripping the NNPC Limited of its authority to collect deductions previously earmarked for special funds. The order, announced on Wednesday by presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga, aims to safeguard national oil revenues, eliminate wasteful spending, and curb overlapping structures within the oil and gas sector. Under the new directive, the 30 percent profit from oil and gas under Production Sharing, Profit Sharing, and Risk Service Contracts previously allocated to the Frontier Exploration Fund—will now flow directly to the Federation…

… 32 States Meet Operational Standards For PHEOCs … High-Security Labs Ready To Handle Ebola, Marburg Viruses Daud Olatunji The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has announced that 32 out of the country’s 37 states, representing 86 per cent, now have functional Public Health Emergency Operations Centres (PHEOCs) that meet minimum operational standards. The development, the NCDC said, marks a significant step in strengthening Nigeria’s health security and emergency response capacity. NCDC Director-General, Jide Idris, disclosed this while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on the sidelines of a health sector forum in Abuja.…

Tragedy struck Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State yesterday as 33 miners were killed and 25 others hospitalised following a deadly carbon monoxide leak at a mining site. Eyewitnesses said the miners, mostly aged between 20 and 35, collapsed suddenly while performing routine underground operations at the Kampani Zurak mine, operated by Solid Uni Nig Ltd. Survivors were rushed to nearby hospitals, with several reported in critical condition. Haruna Safiyanu, a miner at the site, told reporters, “The gas built up in the poorly ventilated tunnels. One moment, everyone was working, the next moment people started collapsing.” Rescue teams,…

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday signed the Electoral Act 2026 (Amendment) Bill into law, urging stakeholders to guard against hacking and technical glitches in the electronic transmission of election results. The President assented to the bill at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in the presence of the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas; and his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, among other top government officials. Speaking shortly after signing the bill, Tinubu commended the National Assembly for what he described as a thorough legislative process aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and preventing voter disenfranchisement. He…

A yet-to-be-confirmed tragic incident has thrown residents of Ogba in Lagos State into mourning following the alleged suicide of a young woman identified simply as Bola. It was gathered that the deceased was a staff member of a finance firm, Wado Credit & Co., located in the Ogba area. Colleagues described her as hardworking and reserved, noting that she had recently been under intense personal and financial pressure. Sources in the area said a bottle of pesticide, suspected to have been ingested, was found near her. A note reportedly recovered at the scene revealed deep emotional distress and feelings of…

The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency has confirmed that the sexual assault allegation involving TikTok content creator Mirabel has been referred to appropriate authorities in Ogun State following preliminary findings that the incident occurred outside Lagos. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the agency disclosed that it had established contact with a close associate of the survivor, who confirmed that she had been discharged from hospital care. “Following our earlier statement and the public response, we successfully established communication with a close friend of the survivor, who confirmed that she has been discharged from the hospital,” the agency…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has raised the alarm over the growing abuse of illicit substances among young adults in Bayelsa State, revealing that persons aged between 21 and 25 constitute the highest category of drug users arrested in the state. The Bayelsa State Commander of the agency, Kanu Sunny Chukwuemeka, disclosed this on Wednesday while briefing journalists at the command headquarters in Yenagoa. He said the command arrested no fewer than 600 suspected drug offenders and seized 621.556 kilogrammes of assorted illicit substances between January and December 2025. According to him, the suspects comprised 407 males and 193…

President Bola Tinubu on Wednesday described the simultaneous commencement of Lent and Ramadan as a rare occurrence, urging Nigerians to draw lessons of unity, sacrifice and peaceful coexistence from the two sacred seasons. In a message marking the beginning of the Christian Lenten season and the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Tinubu said the coincidence of the observances underscored the shared values between adherents of the two faiths. “This year, Lent and Ramadan begin on the same day. This is not a common occurrence, and it reminds us that as a people of faith, we share a lot in common…