Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has dismissed allegations that it is witch-hunting former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, insisting that its investigation into his activities is neither political nor targeted at opposition figures. The EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, said Malami had been under investigation for over two years, long before he assumed office, stressing that the commission prosecutes cases without regard to party affiliation. Olukoyede made the clarification during an interview on Sunday Politics, a programme aired by Channels Television, following claims by the African Democratic Congress in Kebbi State that the former justice…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has defended the slow pace of prosecuting high-profile corruption cases, insisting that delays are a result of painstaking investigations and not institutional inertia. The Chairman of the commission, Ola Olukoyede, said complex corruption cases involving politically exposed persons require extensive evidence-gathering before charges can be filed in court. Olukoyede stated this during an interview on Sunday Politics, aired by Channels Television, amid growing public criticism that the anti-graft agency shields influential politicians from prosecution. According to him, the nature of public-sector corruption, especially cases involving foreign assets and international financial transactions, makes hasty…

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has strongly opposed the continued importation of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), insisting that the Dangote Petroleum Refinery has the capacity to meet Nigeria’s fuel demand and stabilise supply nationwide. The marketers’ position came amid rising controversy over petrol imports and fresh allegations of corruption involving the former Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Farouk Ahmed. IPMAN also dismissed reports linking the surge in petrol imports recorded in November 2025 to an alleged breakdown in supply arrangements between marketers and the Dangote Refinery, describing the claims…

… Says deal has freed 1,000 abductees …Lawyers, CSOs Raise Legal Concerns” Daud Olatunji The Katsina State Government has come under intense criticism following plans to secure the release of 70 suspects standing trial for alleged banditry, a move it insists is central to sustaining ongoing peace accords across troubled parts of the state. Defending the decision, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Nasir Mu’azu, said the proposed release was part of a broader reconciliation strategy designed to halt years of killings, abductions and violent attacks in several frontline local government areas. Mu’azu said the peace arrangement, which…

Resident doctors across the country have suspended their planned resumption of strike, following what the leadership of the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) described as firm commitments from the Federal Government and the direct intervention of Vice-President Kashim Shettima. The decision was reached on Sunday during a virtual emergency meeting of the association’s National Executive Council, where members reviewed the status of their demands and the progress made through engagements with government agencies. NARD’s Secretary-General, Dr Shuaibu Ibrahim, said the suspension of the proposed industrial action, code-named TICS 2.0, was “strategic and conditional”, stressing that the association had not…

The Ogun State Police Command has commenced an investigation into a viral video showing controversial Nigerian singer, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, allegedly being assaulted while in police custody. The footage, which surfaced on social media on Saturday and spread rapidly across X and other platforms, shows the Zazu crooner handcuffed, shirtless and visibly distressed, while seated in what appears to be a police holding area. In the video, the singer is seen pleading tearfully as voices believed to be those of police officers are heard in the background. The video has triggered widespread outrage, with Nigerians raising fresh…

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has announced plans to disburse N24.3 billion as a second tranche of liquidation dividends to depositors of the defunct Heritage Bank whose account balances exceeded the insured limit of N5 million. The payment follows the revocation of Heritage Bank’s operating licence by the Central Bank of Nigeria on June 3, 2024, a move that threw thousands of depositors and shareholders into uncertainty over the recovery of their funds. In a statement issued on Sunday, the NDIC’s Head of Communication and Public Affairs, Hawwau Gambo, said the latest payment was part of ongoing efforts to settle…

Tension has rocked the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akure South Local Government Area of Ondo State following allegations that a senior aide to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa violently assaulted a ward chairman during a dispute over the sharing of N1 million allegedly released for party structures. The Forum of APC Ward Chairmen in Akure South on Sunday accused the Governor’s Senior Special Assistant on Community Engagement (Central), Oluwafemi Fadairo, popularly known as Fada, of leading thugs to attack the Chairman of APC Ward 8, Oluwadare Olanrewaju, leaving him unconscious and hospitalised. The forum claimed that the incident occurred after Governor…

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress and ex-Governor of Kano State, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has returned to Nigeria after weeks in Dubai, amid heightened political manoeuvrings over the reported plan by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf to defect to the APC. Ganduje arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, on Saturday at about 4:30pm aboard an Emirates Airline flight and was expected to proceed to Abuja later in the evening. Although no official link was established, political observers believe Ganduje’s return is connected to ongoing efforts to fine-tune arrangements for the anticipated defection of Governor Yusuf, currently…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, on Sunday broke his silence on the deepening political crisis in the state, declaring that he remains unperturbed by ongoing impeachment threats because his confidence is rooted in faith, not noise. Fubara, who spoke during an interdenominational church service marking the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day at St. Cyprian’s Anglican Church, Port Harcourt, took a veiled swipe at his political adversaries, widely believed to be loyal to his estranged predecessor, Nyesom Wike. Recalling remarks he made at a New Year dinner, the governor said, “Dogs bark when they don’t understand,” a comment that drew murmurs…