Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, Asokoro, on Thursday threatened to revoke the bail of Abdulrasheed Maina, former chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, over repeated delays in his ongoing N738.6 million fraud trial. Justice Abubakar Kutigi expressed frustration at the prolonged proceedings, noting that the trial had been stalled for nearly four years due to what he described as Maina’s “diverse antics.” The judge raised concerns over the defence’s latest request for an adjournment, citing a hospital referral that did not indicate any medical need for Maina’s absence. “I have obtained a commitment from the defence…

…Over 2,700 Capital Projects Across 30 States Tracked In 13 Months Reveal Massive Gaps. .,.. Imo, Lagos, Kwara, Ogun Identified As Hot Spots Of Fraud, Substandard Works … 28.8% Of Projects Never Executed, 57% Delivered Fraudulently Across Key States … Health Centres, Dams, Solar Projects Lag Despite Funding Under 2024 Budget Daud Olatunji  Federal government projects worth N219 billion under the 2024 budget were abandoned, poorly executed, or never started, a new report by Tracka, a civic technology platform, has revealed. The findings, detailed in the report titled “The People and Government Oversight: Connecting the Dots in Service Delivery”, were…

The Chairman of the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), Zacch Adedeji, has called for a radical overhaul of Nigeria’s economic strategy, warning that the country’s reliance on raw material exports threatens long-term prosperity. A statement by his special adviser on media, Dare Adekanmbi, said  Adedeji made the appeal on Thursday during the maiden distinguished personality lecture of the Faculty of Administration, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, titled “From Potential to Prosperity: Export-led Economy.” The NRS chief lamented that Nigeria’s economy is characterised by a high-tech oil sector juxtaposed with a low-productivity informal sector, and a lack of a “vibrant,…

Freed Christian worshippers abducted from three churches in Kurmin Wali community, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Thursday recounted chilling tales of hunger, beatings and strict confinement during their days in bandits’ captivity. The victims, numbering 172, were received by Governor Uba Sani at the Government House, Kaduna, after their release from the kidnappers’ camps in the forests. The worshippers were seized on January 18 during Sunday services, triggering widespread outrage and renewed concerns over insecurity in rural communities. Of the abductees, 83 escaped and returned home last Sunday, while the remaining 89 were released in the early…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Thursday ordered the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services to investigate a court registrar accused of tampering with key exhibits in an ongoing N10bn fraud trial involving Ali Bello, Chief of Staff to the Kogi State Governor. Justice James Kolawole Omotosho issued the directive after the court registrar, Nasiru Onimisi Zubairu, allegedly confessed to deleting crucial WhatsApp messages from a mobile phone tendered as evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The judge disclosed in open court that Zubairu told him privately that Daudu Sulaiman, the second defendant in…

Security agencies intensify operations as communities demand lasting protection More than 160 worshippers abducted by bandits in Kurmin Wali village, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have regained their freedom after weeks in captivity, PLATFORM TIMES has learnt. Sources with knowledge of the development confirmed on Thursday that the victims, who were kidnapped during a religious gathering on January 18, were released and were being evacuated to the Kaduna State Government House for medical checks, profiling and reunion with their families. Although details surrounding their release remained sketchy as of press time, security sources said efforts were ongoing to…

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened on Thursday after a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, vowed to take control of the party’s national headquarters next week, following what it described as official recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Wike-backed group made the declaration shortly after INEC admitted its representatives to the commission’s first quarterly stakeholders’ meeting with political parties in 2026, a move widely interpreted within the PDP as conferring legitimacy on the faction amid the party’s protracted leadership dispute. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the…

The Imo State Police Command has detained a man, Kelechi Prince Okeke, over the death of his wife, Olumma Chizoba Lucy Akataobi, following an alleged domestic altercation in Owerri. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that Okeke, a native of Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area, was arrested and is currently being interrogated at the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department after his wife reportedly died on Monday, February 2. Family sources said the incident was triggered by a disagreement over ₦35,000 paid by a customer into Okeke’s bank account for goods sold by his wife at Relief Market, Owerri. According to the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA), Katsina State, Professor Armayau Hamisu Bichi, over an alleged N19.7 million bribery and contract kickback scheme. Bichi was on Thursday docked before Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar of the Katsina State High Court alongside two co-defendants, Lawal Tukur Mani and Aliyu Lawal Jari, on a five-count charge bordering on bribery and abuse of office. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency accused the former vice-chancellor of using the two co-defendants as conduits to receive illicit payments from contractors in exchange for the…

An aide to former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has dismissed reports suggesting that the former presidential candidate travelled abroad for medical treatment, insisting the trip was purely personal. Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, the aide, Kurugu, said Kwankwaso was in high spirits and actively engaged in political activities in Kano barely hours before leaving the country. “Yes, it is true that Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has travelled out of the country, but it is a personal trip and not medical tourism,” Kurugu said. “We were together with him throughout yesterday and…