Author: Platform Times Newspaper

• Banks say substantial debt remains outstanding The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has recovered $60m from indigenous oil and gas company, Nestoil Limited, for a consortium of lenders amid an ongoing investigation into the company’s indebtedness. The recovery followed a meeting facilitated by the EFCC Chairman, Ola Olukoyede, where Nestoil and the affected banks reportedly agreed to a structured repayment arrangement aimed at resolving the long-running debt dispute. Sources familiar with the matter told PLATFORM TIMES that the $60m recovered so far had been paid to the lenders during the course of the commission’s investigation and subsequent engagements between…

The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered 71 banks and other financial institutions to place debit restrictions on accounts allegedly used to receive funds fraudulently transferred from customers’ accounts domiciled with Access Bank. The order followed an ex parte application filed by Access Bank after the lender detected an alleged cyber fraud in which N1.340bn was transferred from customers’ accounts without authorisation. Justice Akintayo Aluko granted three of the major reliefs sought by the bank, directing the affected financial institutions to restrict transactions on the identified accounts and disclose the amount of the allegedly stolen funds that remained in…

Grace Adeleke Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have destroyed two cannabis plantations with an estimated yield of 4,628.98 kilogrammes and arrested 10 suspected drug traffickers in separate operations across Edo State. The operations, carried out following intelligence on illicit drug activities, targeted cannabis farms and identified drug flashpoints in Orhionmwon, Ovia North-East and Oredo Local Government Areas of the state. The state Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this in a statement on Monday. Ofoyeju said the two cannabis plantations, located at Ugboku, Igbanke Forest, in Orhionmwon LGA, covered a combined 1.85 hectares. According to him,…

Daud Olatunji Tension gripped Ilesa East Local Government Area of Osun State on Monday as gunshots reportedly rang out at the council secretariat when supporters of the Accord Party allegedly attempted to gain access to the premises. The incident, which occurred two days after the Osun State governorship election, reportedly sent people at the secretariat scampering for safety. A video from the scene showed some Accord Party supporters running in different directions as the sounds of gunshots were heard, heightening fears among those present. However, details surrounding the confrontation remained sketchy as of press time. It was not immediately clear…

Mujeeb Akindoyin A Nigerian national, Maazi Okechuku Augustine, has been remanded by an Accra Circuit Court in Ghana over an alleged plot to rob three banks in the Labone area of the Ghanaian capital. Augustine was arrested on Thursday, August 13, after the Ghana Police Service said it foiled an alleged attack on GCB Bank, Ecobank and Zenith Bank branches in the area. He is expected to appear before the court again on Wednesday. According to the police, the operation followed intelligence received at about 10:45am that suspected armed robbers were preparing to attack the banks. The police said its…

Daud Olatunji The Nigeria Football Federation has ordered members of the Super Falcons’ technical crew to step down with immediate effect following the team’s disappointing campaign at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations and failure to secure automatic qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup. The NFF Executive Committee announced the decision on Monday in a brief statement but did not disclose specific reasons for the removal of the coaching crew. The federation said, “The Executive Committee of the Nigeria Football Federation has asked members of the technical crew of the @NGSuper_Falcons to step down with immediate effect.”…

Daud Olatunji Retired administrative officers in Ogun State have called for stronger unity among members of the cadre, while urging retirees to make proper estate plans to prevent disputes over their properties and assets after their death. The call was made on Monday at the second general meeting of the current executive committee of the Retired Civil Service Administrative Officers’ Forum, held at the forum’s secretariat in Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta. The forum chairman, a retired Permanent Secretary, Alhaji Sefiu Rasheed, said the association had recorded progress in promoting comradeship among retired administrative officers and maintaining engagement with serving officers in the…

By Zainab Abioye The Baale of Kemta Odutolu, Chief Aregbesola Anipupo, has dismissed reports of a crisis over the maternal origin of Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, describing the claims as politically motivated and unfounded. Anipupo, who is also the Oluwo-Ifa of Ogun State, said there was no crisis in Kemta Odutolu, stressing that the community recognises the senator as one of its sons. “There is no truth to those rumours at all. Especially in Kemta Odutolu where I am the Baale, nothing of such happened here,” he said. The traditional ruler cautioned against dragging Adeola into local…

By Remmy Hazzan The 2026 Osun State governorship election stands out as a pivotal moment in Nigeria’s recent democratic journey. Senator Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke triumphed over a contender who mobilised all visible and “invisble” forces, and who had the full backing of the powerful All Progressives Congress bigwigs. Adeleke secured 511,067 votes, while the APC Candidate garnered 444,815 votes, giving Adeleke a winning margin of 66,252 votes. But beyond the numbers, the real takeaway is that a determined electorate can shift political dynamics and challenge even the most entrenched political establishments. What made the Osun election particularly striking was…

By Favour Godwin The average Nigerian voter, it seems, increasingly needs an incentive to vote. Voting is no longer necessarily about conviction or ideology; increasingly, it is becoming about incentives. Daniel H. Pink, in his book Drive, examines what motivates human beings and argues that beyond external rewards and punishments, there is a deeper form of motivation that comes from within — the kind that makes someone act because they believe in a cause or find purpose in what they are doing. There has been a recurring pattern in Nigerian politics: the incentivisation of the voting population to support a…