Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Members of the Mace Club of Nigeria have elected Mace (Chief) Aliu Ajani Odunmbaku, PhD, as the 12th President of the club following a keenly contested election held in Abeokuta, Ogun State. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the election, which attracted members from within and outside the state capital, was conducted by a three-member Mace Electoral Commission chaired by Mace Soji Sogbolu, with Maces Babatunde Oduwaiye and Temitope Lasilo serving as members. Other officers elected alongside Odunmbaku include Mace Toyin Obatosin, Esq., as Vice President; Mace Engr. Jide Adebayo as General Secretary; and Mace Edward Lasilo as Director of Socials and…

Millions of Nigerians are grappling with a worsening housing crisis as tenants and prospective homebuyers now spend far above the global affordability threshold on rent, with many allocating as much as 60 to 70 per cent of their income to accommodation. The development, which experts say reflects deepening pressure in the country’s housing market, far exceeds the 30 per cent rent-to-income benchmark recommended by the United Nations for sustainable and affordable housing. Findings indicate that the sharp rise in rents across major cities including Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt over the past two years has significantly overstretched the finances of…

More than 120 children have died in building collapse incidents across Nigeria, with experts blaming poor construction practices and widespread disregard for the National Building Code. The alarming figure was disclosed by the Nigerian Institute of Building (NIOB), which warned that the situation could worsen as the 2026 rainy season approaches. Speaking during the 2026 Builders’ Day celebration in Anambra State, the state chairman of the institute, Ikenna Okpala, described the recurring incidents as a national tragedy linked to unprofessional construction practices. Okpala said many of the disasters occurred because unqualified individuals were often engaged to handle building projects, leading…

…Lamido Backs Caretaker Committee, Urges Party Members To Embrace Reconciliation Daud Olatunji The internal crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party deepened on Sunday as a faction believed to be loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, installed new state executives in Bayelsa, Ekiti and Oyo states. The congresses, held over the weekend, were organised by the faction’s caretaker leadership ahead of its planned national convention scheduled for March 28 in Abuja. The move followed a judgment of the Court of Appeal which nullified the November 15 and 16 national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State, where…

The Delta State Commissioner of Police, Aina Adesola, has accused some political and community leaders of shielding kidnappers and other criminals by interfering in police investigations and prosecution processes. Adesola warned that such interference weakens law enforcement efforts and emboldens criminals to continue terrorising communities across the state. The police chief made the remarks during a courtesy visit to the palace of the Ovie of Uvwie Kingdom, Emmanuel Sideso Abe I, in Effurun as part of his familiarisation tour of police formations in the state. He lamented that relatives of suspected criminals, politicians and other interest groups often attempt to…

An officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has died following an incident during the distribution of Ramadan and Sallah palliatives in Tudun Wada Local Government Area of Kano State. The palliative distribution exercise was organised by the member representing Doguwa/Tudun Wada Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Alhassan Ado Doguwa. Confirming the development on Saturday, the Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC in Kano, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said the command had commenced a comprehensive investigation into the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death. “Yes, it is true. The commandant has ordered a thorough investigation into the matter. When…

Five foreign nationals working at a gold mining site in Zamfara State have been abducted by armed bandits, raising fresh concerns over insecurity around mining operations in Nigeria’s North-West. The victims, said to be nationals of Burkina Faso, were reportedly kidnapped around 11:15 a.m. on Friday when heavily armed gunmen stormed a mining site near Arafa village in Maru Local Government Area of the state. According to security sources, the attackers, who were believed to have been hiding between Arafa and Gidan Dankande villages, invaded the site and forcefully whisked the workers away to an unknown destination. A security analyst…

Residents of Bargaja village in Isa Local Government Area of Sokoto State have fled their homes following relentless attacks by suspected bandits reportedly loyal to notorious bandit leader Bello Turji. The mass movement of villagers, which occurred despite the ongoing observance of the Muslim fasting period of Ramadan, has forced several families to abandon their homes and relocate to neighbouring communities in search of safety. Source : Sahara Reporter A video circulating online and monitored by PLATFORM TIMES shows scores of residents leaving the village in groups, packing their belongings into vehicles as they evacuated the troubled community amid heightened…

The Presidency on Sunday dismissed as false a claim by an Islamic cleric, Sanusi Khalil, that about ₦500bn had been budgeted to mobilise religious and traditional leaders in northern Nigeria to support the return of a Muslim-Muslim presidential ticket ahead of the next general election. Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, described the allegation as baseless, insisting that there was no such plan by the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “Whoever believes that can believe anything, including tales by moonlight,” Onanuga said in a text message on Sunday while reacting to the viral claim. The rebuttal followed the circulation of a…

The Nigeria Labour Congress has urged the Federal Government to urgently intervene in the rising cost of petrol, warning that the latest increase in pump prices to between N1,170 and N1,300 per litre is worsening the economic hardship faced by Nigerian workers. The labour union made the call in a statement issued by its President, Joe Ajaero, who said the escalating fuel price had significantly raised transportation costs, food prices and the general cost of living across the country. Ajaero lamented that the sudden surge in petrol prices had further eroded the purchasing power of workers and pushed many Nigerians…