Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria has honoured a popular broadcaster, Rev. Tolulope Taiwo, widely known as Pastor T, with the Media and Communication Excellence Award in recognition of his contributions to the fellowship’s activities. The honour formed part of a broader ceremony in which the fellowship also celebrated its founding fathers and unveiled a new leadership vision aimed at strengthening unity, moral standards and infrastructural development. The event, held amid prayers and reflections, also featured the dedication of a newly completed hall and drew clerics, stakeholders and members from across the fellowship. A senior cleric, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, who was…

Residents of Gurbi community in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State have repelled a bandit attack, though no fewer than 10 people were reportedly killed during the incident, eyewitnesses and local sources have said. The attackers were said to have stormed the community in the evening, but were prevented from entering the village after residents quickly mobilised and mounted resistance to block their advance. A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the community’s swift response forced the assailants to retreat from the main settlement. “They could not enter the village because people gathered to defend themselves. But…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have instituted a lawsuit against the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), challenging what they described as “an unconstitutional attempt to gag broadcasters” through threats of sanctions over the expression of personal opinions on air. The suit, filed at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, is contesting the legality of sections of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which the NBC recently relied upon to issue a “Formal Notice” warning broadcast stations and presenters against expressing opinions as facts, allegedly bullying guests, or failing to…

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has raised fresh alarm over rising job losses and what it described as worsening suppression of workers’ rights in Nigeria’s oil and gas sector, warning that the development could trigger widespread industrial unrest. The warning came on Sunday during the union’s 6th Quadrennial Delegates Conference in Lagos, where outgoing President, Prince Williams Akporeha, delivered a strongly worded valedictory address detailing growing hardship among oil workers amid ongoing economic reforms. Akporeha said the removal of fuel subsidy had triggered far-reaching consequences across the sector, particularly for informal and downstream workers whose…

…Cites financial, legal concerns abroad …Seeks US-Nigeria verification process A civil society coalition, the United Actions for Democracy (UAD), has petitioned the Federal Government, urging the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice to launch investigations into alleged criminal matters involving the Governor of Ogun State, Adedapo Oluseun Abiodun. The body also asked the federal government  to consider initiating legal and diplomatic steps that could lead to his deportation to the United States if the allegations are confirmed. In a petition dated April 20, 2026, and addressed to the Attorney-General in Abuja, the group said its request was…

… Links Remark To Historic Political VIolence …. Links Remark To Historic Political Violence The All Progressives Congress on Sunday came down hard on Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, over his controversial reference to “Operation Wetie,” accusing him of inciting violence and threatening national stability. Makinde had made the remark on Saturday while hosting opposition leaders at a political summit in Ibadan, where he warned against what he described as Nigeria’s gradual drift towards a one-party state. Invoking the infamous “Operation Wetie” — a violent political campaign in the Western Region in the 1960s marked by arson and attacks…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted a large consignment of Captagon, a dangerous stimulant linked to insurgency and organised crime, in Kwara State, in what authorities described as a major breakthrough against emerging drug trafficking threats. The agency said its operatives, during a routine patrol along Bode Saadu Road on April 21, 2026, stopped a passenger vehicle and discovered 10,000 pills of the illicit substance on a 33-year-old suspect, Nasiru Mu’azu. According to a statement on Sunday by the NDLEA Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, officers also recovered nine packets of Tapentadol, a potent opioid, from…

A member of a local hunters’ group has been killed in an accidental explosion during a joint patrol with Nigerian troops in Adamawa State. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred at about 10:15 a.m. on Friday in Gombi Local Government Area when troops of the 232 Battalion (Tactical), alongside local hunters, were conducting a fighting patrol around the Member Farm and Dogon Kuka axis. Sources said the patrol team was returning along the Garkida–Gombi route when the explosion occurred under unclear circumstances. It was learnt that the victim, identified as one of the hunters supporting the military operation, reportedly…

The Ogun State Police Command has dismissed as false a viral video alleging the presence of armed bandits operating in a forest within the state, clarifying that the footage originated from Kenya and not Nigeria. In a statement issued on Sunday, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Oluseyi Babaseyi, said the video—widely circulated on social media—was “misleading and deliberately recycled” to create panic among residents. The command stated that preliminary investigations and fact-checking confirmed that the footage was recorded outside Nigeria. “The Ogun State Police Command wishes to categorically refute a viral video purportedly showing armed men operating within a…

The Nigeria Revenue Service has dismissed as false a viral report alleging that the Federal Government has introduced a new tax on vehicles with large engine capacities. The agency, in a statement issued on Sunday, described the circulating message as “misleading” and clarified that no such policy exists. The viral claim, widely shared on social media, had alleged that a 2–4 per cent surcharge would be imposed on imported vehicles with engine capacities above 2,000cc from July 1, 2026. It also suggested that the purported policy was part of broader fiscal reforms aimed at promoting cleaner transport, with exemptions for…