Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Muslim leaders and stakeholders in Ogun State have adopted a far-reaching 30-year Strategic Blueprint aimed at strengthening Islamic institutions, promoting unity and addressing longstanding socio-economic challenges confronting Muslims across the state. The resolution was reached at a high-level retreat organised by the Ogun State Muslim Council (OMC) on Sunday at the Olowu of Owu’s Palace, Abeokuta, where over 200 delegates representing more than 30 Islamic organisations from Egba, Ijebu, Remo and Yewa divisions converged to chart a new direction for the Council. The retreat, which marked a critical reflection on OMC’s three decades of existence, was convened to review a…

… Says Drug Abuse Triples Global Average In Nigeria … Lagos, Oyo, Ondo Among States With Highest Consumption Rates … 243 Users Rehabilitated, 62 convictions Secured In 2025 Daud Olatunji About 15 million Nigerians aged between 15 and 64 years are reported to use hard drugs, nearly three times the global average, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brigadier-General Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), has disclosed. Marwa revealed this during a visit to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in Akure, Ondo State, where he also presented comprehensive data on drug use, enforcement outcomes, and cannabis…

Lagos State authorities have intensified efforts to curb street begging and public nuisance, arresting 115 street beggars and securing the conviction of 26 members of the notorious “Omotaku” gang. The arrests and convictions, which took place on Monday, January 26, are part of ongoing enforcement operations across the state, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Mr. Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed in a statement on his X (formerly Twitter) handle. According to Wahab, the street beggars were apprehended at different locations during coordinated operations involving multiple government agencies. He further revealed that 26 suspected members of the “Omotaku” group, a gang…

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has confirmed that investigations into sixteen serving military officers, previously detained over acts of indiscipline, have been concluded, with some implicated in an alleged plot to overthrow President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s government. In a statement issued on Monday and signed by Major General Samaila Uba, Director of Defence Information, the Armed Forces of Nigeria (AFN) said the findings had been forwarded to relevant superior authorities in accordance with military regulations. “It would be recalled that the Defence Headquarters issued a press statement in October 2025 regarding the arrest of sixteen officers over acts of indiscipline and…

Employees in Nigeria’s alcohol manufacturing sector on Monday intensified opposition to the Federal Government’s ban on sachet alcoholic drinks and PET bottles below 200 millilitres, warning that they would mobilise a nationwide protest if the policy is not reversed. The workers, under the aegis of the Food, Beverages and Tobacco Senior Staff Association and the National Union of Food, Beverages and Tobacco Employees, stormed the Lagos office of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway for the second time in four days, carrying placards and chanting solidarity songs. The unions said the ban…

Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun State has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently intervene and order the release of the state’s withheld local government allocations, warning that workers across the councils are “suffering severely” as the crisis drags on. In a statewide broadcast on Monday, Adeleke said the continued seizure of the funds has crippled grassroots governance and pushed his administration into unsustainable borrowing to keep essential workers  including primary school teachers, health workers and council staff — on the payroll. “The situation is becoming unbearable. Local government allocations are the lifeline for teachers, nurses, traditional councils and retirees.…

Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, on Monday accused President Bola Tinubu of allegedly withdrawing N100bn monthly from the Federation Account without constitutional approval, describing the action as an impeachable offence. El-Rufai made the allegation during an interview on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, where he claimed that the deductions had been ongoing for over 15 months, amounting to about N1.5tn. According to him, neither the National Assembly nor state Houses of Assembly authorised the withdrawals, despite the fact that part of the funds belonged to states and local governments. He said, “This is government data. I’m…

The Indigenous People of Biafra has dared Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, urging residents and traders to ignore the government’s closure of markets and resume business activities, following the widespread observance of Monday’s sit-at-home order across the state. The pro-Biafra group said residents had “spoken clearly” by staying indoors, a development that led the Anambra State Government to shut the Onitsha Main Market for one week, with officials hinting that the closure could be extended if traders fail to reopen next Monday. In a statement issued on Monday by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB commended residents for complying with…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday urged Nigerians to deepen religious tolerance, unity and peaceful coexistence, describing them as indispensable pillars for national security and sustainable development. The President made the call at the 4th International Conference of the Centre for Islamic Civilisation and Interfaith Dialogue held at Bayero University, Kano, where the legacy of renowned Islamic scholar, the late Sheikh Mahmud Abubakar Gummi, was being examined. Tinubu, who was represented by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, commended the Centre and the Sultan Bello Mosque, Kaduna, for sustaining interfaith engagement aimed at promoting peace, harmony and…

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday said he is a living testament to the enduring impact of the free education policy introduced by the late former governor of the old Oyo State, Chief Bola Ige, describing the programme as a foundation for the state’s human capital development. Makinde spoke at the opening ceremony of activities marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of Oyo State, held in Ibadan. Oyo State was created on February 3, 1976, during the military administration of the late General Murtala Muhammed, with Bola Ige serving as its first executive governor between 1979 and 1983.…