Author: Platform Times Newspaper

No fewer than two million Nigerians are projected to slip into poverty in 2026, pushing the number of people living below the poverty line to about 141 million, or 62 per cent of the population, despite a gradual slowdown in inflation, a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has warned The figure represents an increase from an estimated 139 million people in 2025 and marks the highest poverty rate ever recorded in Africa’s most populous country, according to PwC’s Nigeria Economic Outlook The professional services firm said the grim outlook reflects the lingering effects of policy gaps, global economic shocks and…

No fewer than 38 Nigerians lost their lives to electricity-related incidents between July and September 2025, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has said. According to the Commission’s third-quarter safety report for 2025, the death toll represents an increase from the 33 fatalities recorded in the preceding quarter, underscoring persistent safety risks within the power sector. NERC disclosed that all the reported fatalities occurred at the distribution end of the electricity value chain, describing it as the most dangerous segment for consumers and workers alike. It noted that neither the Transmission Company of Nigeria nor any of the generation companies recorded…

President of Dangote Industries Limited, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has withdrawn a petition he filed with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission against the immediate past Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed. PLATFORM TIMES gathered on Wednesday night that the petition was formally withdrawn through Dangote’s lawyer, Mr Ogwu Onoja (SAN). However, it was learnt that the withdrawal followed the decision of another government agency to take over the matter, prompting a review of the process already initiated at the ICPC. Dangote had in December accused Ahmed of allegedly abusing…

 A Jigawa State High Court has sentenced Abubakar Muhd, popularly known as Akuya, to death by hanging for raping a 15-year-old boy, and ordered him to pay N5 million in compensation to the victim The case, filed in March 2022, faced delays as prosecutors awaited additional evidence and witness testimonies. Initially classified as sodomy, the offence was redefined under the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law, 2012, which criminalises same-sex rape and allows for harsher penalties. Delivering judgment on Thursday, Hon. Justice Ado Yusif Birnin-Kudu said Muhd committed a “heinous crime against a minor,” contravening Sections 3(1)(a)&(b) and punishable under…

The Niger State Commissioner of Mineral Resources, Hon. Muhammed Qasim Danjuma, has called for the immediate revival of the state’s illegal mining task force to strengthen enforcement against offenders. Danjuma made the appeal on Wednesday during a visit to the Niger State Police Headquarters in Minna, where he met with the State Commissioner of Police, CP Adamu Abdullahi Elleman. He said reviving the task force would help curb criminal activities linked to illegal mining and promote peace in the state. “Some miscreants are hiding under the guise of mining to perpetrate crime and cause chaos in our communities,” Danjuma said.…

Kano politics hit a new low on Thursday as Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, national leader of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) and head of the Kwankwasiyya movement, took a thinly veiled swipe at his former protégé, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, over persistent rumors of a ₦250 billion inducement to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC). In a viral social media video, Kwankwaso mocked the alleged offer, saying: “I want to remind you that I deserve a share of the billions you stand to gain after defecting to the ruling party, for it was me who delivered the election…

…NERC Reports ₦25bn Foreign Debt, ₦1.03bn Local Liability …Togo, Niger, Benin Owe $17.8m For Electricity Suppl …Non-Payment Worsens Liquidity Crisis In Power Sector Nigeria’s electricity sector is facing mounting revenue pressures as neighbouring countries—Togo, Niger and Benin Republic—owe over ₦25bn for power supplied under bilateral agreements, while Ajaokuta Steel Company Limited and its host community are indebted to the tune of ₦1.03bn, findings by the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission have shown. In its Third Quarter 2025 report, the NERC disclosed that the special customer category, comprising Ajaokuta Steel and the host community, failed to remit any payment for invoices…

There was palpable tension in Plateau State on Tuesday after suspected kidnappers attempted to snatch a soldier’s rifle during a counter-kidnapping operation by troops of the Nigerian Army, a move that led to their immediate neutralisation. The incident occurred during a follow-up operation by troops of the 3 Division of the Nigerian Army, operating under the Joint Task Force, Operation ENDURING PEACE, around Lantom Village in the Kadarko District of Wase Local Government Area. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the troops were acting on what the Army described as credible intelligence when they raided a suspected kidnappers’ hideout in the area.…

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has raised the alarm over what it described as a disturbing resurgence of terror attacks across the South-West and other parts of the country, calling on governors in the region to urgently implement coordinated security measures. In a statement issued on Thursday, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, expressed deep concern over recent violent incidents in the South-West, warning that the relative calm witnessed during the just-concluded festive period should not be mistaken for safety. Ajayi cited a string of attacks that have heightened fears in the region, including the killing of five forest…

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Martins Amaewhule, on Thursday accused Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Odu, of undermining democratic governance, alleging that the executive arm has been spending public funds without legislative approval. Amaewhule made the allegations shortly after the Assembly commenced impeachment proceedings against the governor and his deputy over alleged gross misconduct. He accused Fubara of deliberately refusing to present the 2026 budget to the House, in clear violation of constitutional provisions, insisting that nothing legally prevents the governor from laying the appropriation bill before lawmakers. “Nothing is holding the government…