Author: Platform Times Newspaper

… Relatives, detainees cry out over 40 adjournments, allege torture, influence peddling Some former domestic workers of ex-First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, have decried their prolonged detention and alleged inhumane treatment at the Okaka Custodial Centre in Bayelsa State, nearly six years after they were remanded over theft allegations. The 15 detainees, including male and female staff, were arrested in 2019 for allegedly stealing items including gold bangles, jewellery, air conditioners, upholstery chairs, and flat-screen televisions reportedly worth N200m. They were arraigned before the Bayelsa State High Court, Yenagoa, on an 18-count charge, including conspiracy to commit murder and…

The families and associates of the 16 hunters from Kano State who were lynched in Uromi, Edo State, have threatened to avenge the deaths of their loved ones if the Federal Government fails to arrest and prosecute those behind the gruesome act. The victims, who hailed mostly from Toranke in Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano, were travelling from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, to Kano for the Sallah celebration when they were intercepted and killed by local vigilantes on suspicion of being kidnappers. The incident, which sparked outrage nationwide, has deepened ethnic and regional tensions, with community leaders, bereaved families,…

The Islamic Movement in Nigeria, popularly known as the Shi’ites, has accused the Federal Government of President Bola Tinubu of detaining over 60 minors in a defunct police facility in Abuja following a violent crackdown on its members during a religious procession. The group’s legal team, led by Bala Dakum and Yushau Uthman, made the allegation on Friday at a press briefing in Abuja, a week after the March 28 incident that reportedly led to the death of at least 26 members of the movement. According to the lawyers, the security forces, particularly soldiers, opened fire on thousands of Shi’ite…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has arraigned two individuals, including a repeat offender, before the Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, for allegedly hawking and illegally trading in Naira notes, in violation of Nigeria’s currency regulations. Folake Adeoti, an ex-convict previously sentenced for similar offences, was brought before Justice Yellim Bogoro on Friday, April 4, 2025, on a one-count charge of Naira abuse. The EFCC accused her of hawking N3,850,000 along Jobi Fele Way in Ikeja on March 21, 2025. The charge, filed under Section 21(4) of the Central Bank of Nigeria Act, 2007, stipulates penalties for actions that…

The Benue State Police Command has rescued 14 passengers who were abducted by armed men in an attack on a commercial bus operated by Benue Links Nigeria Limited. The daring rescue operation took place on Friday, a day after the deadly ambush along the Otukpo-Makurdi route in Otukpo Local Government Area. The police spokesperson, Catherine Anene, confirmed the development in a statement issued late Friday night, revealing that the victims were rescued following a gun battle between police operatives and the kidnappers. “On 4/4/2025 at about 1500hrs, they sighted the bandits in the forest and engaged them in a gun…

Controversial Nigerian cleric, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has stirred public outrage after boasting that his followers, including cultists he has helped in the past, would kill or severely beat anyone who speaks against him. Suleman, the General Overseer of Omega Fire Ministries, made the claim during a sermon, a video of which was published on Friday. In the video, the fiery preacher suggested that mere criticism of him at his church premises in Auchi, Edo State, could result in deadly consequences, not through prayers or miracles, but through the loyalty he commands via acts of kindness. “If you want to die,…

Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has expressed unwavering confidence in his electoral victory despite plans by Asue Ighodalo and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to challenge the tribunal’s ruling at the Court of Appeal. Earlier this week, the Edo State governorship election petition tribunal upheld Okpebholo’s mandate, dismissing Ighodalo’s petition. In response, the governor, speaking at a celebration with supporters on Friday, affirmed his belief in a successful outcome at the higher courts. “The opposition party is wasting money on court cases,” Okpebholo remarked, underscoring his conviction that the judiciary will uphold the will of the Edo electorate. He further…

The Kebbi State Government has suspended a Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office, Nasiru Abubakar Kigo, over his controversial claim that Kebbi and Sokoto states have the highest number of registered gays and lesbians in the country. Governor Nasir Idris approved Kigo’s indefinite suspension following public outrage over the remark, which the state government described as “fictitious and baseless.” Kigo, who is also an Islamic cleric, made the statement during a Ramadan seminar held at the Adamu Aliero Housing Estate in Birnin Kebbi. Confirming the development on Friday, the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ahmed Idris, said the suspension…

The Governing Council of Tai Solarin University of Education, Ijagun, has lauded the Federal Government’s recent takeover of the institution, describing it as a landmark development for Nigeria’s education sector. Speaking on behalf of the Council, the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman, Prof. Rahamon Bello, expressed deep appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for formalising the transition of the Ogun State-owned university to federal ownership. “We sincerely appreciate President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for this historic decision. By taking over this institution—a great university named after an iconic educationist—the Federal Government has affirmed its commitment to advancing Nigeria’s educational excellence,” Prof. Bello said. Founded…

A dramatic controversy has erupted in Ogun State after the state’s Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), was accused of undermining the authority of the judiciary by allegedly overruling decisions of the state’s Customary Court of Appeal and proceeding to intervene in a contentious land dispute still pending before the Court of Appeal in Ibadan. The case involves the family of the late Oba Alli Ogunnaike Fibiwoga in Odogbolu Local Government Area and a group of alleged land grabbers led by one Sir Kay Oluwo, from Ikorodu. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the dispute centres around over 60…