Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A travel consultant, Waliyu Aderibigbe Shitta, has been arraigned before the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, over allegations that he orchestrated a fraudulent marriage to secure a United Kingdom visa for a client without the consent of a UK-based Nigerian whose identity was allegedly used in the process. The prosecuting witness, ASP Monday Onoja, told the court that Mr Shitta and his firm, Fanzine Educational Consult, falsely presented to British authorities that one Dolapo Afusat Yusuf was legally married to Emmanuel Opeyemi Makinde, a Nigerian resident in the UK. Testifying before Justice Ademuyiwa Oyeyipo in suit number CR/215/2025, Onoja…

The Senator representing the Federal Capital Territory, Ireti Kingibe, has revealed that she engaged in a heated shouting match with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over what she described as an urgent matter affecting the nation’s capital. Kingibe made the disclosure on Friday during an appearance on Politics Today, a programme on Channels Television. According to her, the confrontation followed repeated attempts to reach the minister by phone, which were initially ignored. “I have Wike’s number and he has mine too. I know I have the right number. I have called him before. He didn’t answer,…

Former Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria, Ibukun Awosika, has shared how she sustained her marriage for 13 years despite earning more than her husband, urging couples not to allow money become a source of conflict in their homes. Awosika spoke during a preaching engagement at Celebration Church, where she reflected on the early years of her marriage to Abiodun Awosika, describing how teamwork and mutual respect helped them navigate income disparity. According to her, while she built her manufacturing business and secured contracts of varying value, her husband worked as a petroleum engineer with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission has tracked 35 Federal Government projects valued at N4.61bn in Zamfara State, directing contractors handling problematic jobs to immediately return to site. The commission said the move was part of efforts to ensure value for money and prevent diversion or abandonment of public funds tied to constituency and executive projects. The team leader of the exercise, Dr Murtala Bankano, disclosed this on Saturday while briefing journalists in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital. Bankano explained that the tracking was conducted under the Constituency and Executive Project Tracking Initiative, a mechanism designed by…

Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, the Eselu of Iselu Kingdom in Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, has declared support for the governorship ambition of former senator, Iyabo Obasanjo, urging greater inclusion of women in the state’s political leadership. The monarch spoke with journalists on Friday after hosting Obasanjo during what he described as a private visit to his palace. PLATFORM TIMES reports that Obasanjo had declared intention to contest for the most covered seat in the state as she joined the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state . Oba Akinyemi said Ogun State has a rich history of…

…Public Debt Surges By N900bn In  2025 ….External Obligations Reach N71.5trn, Domestic Obligations Climb To N81.8trn …Infrastructure Funding Cited As Key Reason Daud Olatunji Nigeria’s total public debt climbed to N153.29 trillion as at September 30, 2025, the Debt Management Office (DMO) has revealed, marking a N900 billion increase from the N152.39 trillion recorded in June. According to a statement posted on its website, the DMO said the country’s debt profile comprises both domestic and external obligations of the federal and subnational governments — the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The report showed that domestic debt…

Thousands of Nigerian Muslims face the risk of missing the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage after Saudi Arabia’s registration portal closed, leaving many unable to submit their details despite Nigeria securing additional pilgrimage slots. The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) disclosed this in a statement on Friday, attributing the setback to the timing of the approval for extra Hajj quotas. NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Information and Publications, Fatima Usara, explained that Saudi authorities initially reduced Nigeria’s Hajj quota from 95,000 to 50,000 pilgrims. However, following diplomatic interventions, the kingdom later approved an increase in allocated slots — but the announcement came…

A High Court in Akwa Ibom State has sentenced Prince Emmanuel Umoh, a pastor of Living Faith Church (Winners Chapel), to death by hanging for the murder of Gabriel Bassey Edward, a final-year Engineering student at the University of Uyo. The court, presided over by Hon. Justice Gabriel Nkanang, delivered the judgment on Thursday, February 19, 2026, almost six years after the gruesome killing. According to court records, Umoh murdered Edward in December 2020 at his residence in Ifa Ikot Ubo-Ifa Ikot Okpon, Uyo. The 23-year-old student, who posthumously graduated with a First-Class degree, had rented part of his home…

Veteran Nollywood actress, Olanrewaju Hassan Adeshina, popularly known as Mama Awero, has declared that acting is not just her career but her life, adding that she cannot envision doing anything else. The 75-year-old thespian, whose career began in 1964 with the Ojo Ladipo Theatre Group, made the revelation in a recent interview . “I will die acting. I have been doing this since 1964 and I don’t know how to do anything else aside from acting,” Mama Awero said. She also disclosed that she has expertise in film costuming, a skill she acquired early in her career from her mentors.…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has launched the eighth phase of its Constituency and Executive Projects Tracking Exercise in Katsina State, scrutinising 39 ongoing projects valued at N13.5 billion. The projects span the state’s three senatorial districts and federal constituencies, covering health, education, infrastructure, water supply, and empowerment initiatives. The exercise, which began Monday, aims to ensure accountability, verify compliance with approved specifications, and guarantee value for taxpayers’ money. ICPC teams are working alongside representatives from the Nigerian Institute of Quantity Surveyors and media personnel to conduct detailed on-site inspections. According to ICPC Director of…