Author: Platform Times Newspaper

 Ayomide Awe The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Ogun 1 Area Command, has intensified its crackdown on smuggling, intercepting contraband goods worth N279.5 million between January and February 2025. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the seizure, described as a major success in the command’s anti-smuggling operations, was announced by the Area Controller, Comptroller Mohammed Shuaibu, during a press briefing in Abeokuta on Thursday. The intercepted items include 2,145 bags of foreign rice, equivalent to four trailer loads, 612 bales of second-hand clothing, 843 units of used tyres, and 6,625 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS). Also confiscated were 75 sacks of cannabis…

Wema Bank has unveiled plans to celebrate International Women’s Day (IWD) 2025, reinforcing its commitment to gender equality and financial inclusion. The bank will host a major event on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, in Lagos, with the theme “Harnessing Innovation & Technology to Accelerate Financial Inclusion for Women.” The event will bring together female leaders from different industries to discuss how technology can drive financial empowerment for women. As part of the celebration, Wema Bank will showcase its Big Sister Project, a mentorship program under the Wema Women Network (WWN). The HeForShe Awards will also recognize male employees who have…

Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has dismissed ongoing litigations challenging appointments in the state’s traditional institutions, insisting that such legal battles are a waste of time and effort. Makinde, who spoke on Thursday while presenting the staff and certificate of office to the newly appointed Eleruwa of Eruwa, Oba Samuel Adegbola, maintained that his administration would not interfere in traditional rulings as long as due process is followed. The governor’s remarks come amid legal disputes surrounding the appointments of the Alaafin of Oyo-designate, Oba Akeem Owoade, and the Soun of Ogbomoso, Oba Afolabi Ghandi Olaoye. Makinde reaffirmed that his…

The Supreme Court has explained its decision to reinstate the Martins Amaewhule-led Rivers State House of Assembly, citing constitutional provisions that mandate the existence of a properly formed legislature. In a 62-page Certified True Copy of the judgment, obtained on Thursday in Abuja, the apex court ruled that there was “no iota or shred of evidence” proving that the 27 lawmakers had defected from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC), a claim that had been central to Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s opposition to their legitimacy. On February 28, the court had barred the Central Bank of…

Daud Olatunji The House of Representatives has advanced a bill that seeks to establish an independent authority responsible for the registration and regulation of political parties, effectively stripping the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of these crucial functions. Sponsored by Tajudeen Abbas, Speaker of the House, and Marcus Onobun, a distinguished lawmaker from Edo State, the bill proposes the creation of the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties. This new entity would oversee the intricate processes of political party registration, funding monitoring, and regulatory enforcement. During the heated debate that ensued during Thursday’s plenary session, Hon. Marcus Onobun argued…

The Nigeria Sanctions Committee (NSC) has designated Simon Ekpa, a controversial figure linked to the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), and 16 entities as alleged terrorism financiers in the country. This decision was announced following a meeting held in Abuja on Thursday, chaired by Lateef Fagbemi, the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice. The NSC, mandated to enforce United Nations Security Council Resolutions on targeted financial sanctions, identified Ekpa among others whose financial activities are now subject to stringent regulatory actions. The committee has instructed all financial institutions to immediately freeze assets, funds, and economic resources belonging…

Former Senator Shehu Sani has disclosed that he narrowly escaped a six-month suspension from the Senate in 2018, following his revelation of federal lawmakers’ remuneration. Sani, who represented Kaduna Central, made this revelation in a recent statement on social media. In a post shared on his Twitter handle, Sani recounted the events, attributing his reprieve to the immediate intervention of then-Senate President Bukola Saraki and Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu. According to Sani, his disclosure of senators’ salaries and allowances, including the controversial revelation of a monthly running cost of N13.5 million per senator and N200 million constituency project funds,…

Operatives of the police command in Lagos State have arrested two Pakistanis for allegedly kidnapping a fellow Pakistani in the Ikeja area of the state. The command Spokesman, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, said in a statement on Thursday in Lagos, that the arrest of the “vicious and notorious Pakistanis” was a huge success. According to Hundeyin, a distress call was received by the police at the Ikeja Division on Wednesday about the kidnapping of a 48-year-old Pakistani within the area. “An anti-crime patrol from the division was swiftly deployed, leading to the rescue of the victim and arrest of two of…

The Supreme Council for Shariah in Nigeria (SCSN) says the decision by some northern governors to close primary and secondary schools during Ramadan is appropriate. A statement by its Secretary-General, Nafiu Baba-Ahmad, in Kaduna on Thursday said the closure prioritises students’ well-being amid extreme heat conditions during the fasting period. Baba-Ahmad criticised organisations, including the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), for opposing the move, stating that state governments have full authority over school schedules. “Threats of legal or industrial action over the closures are unnecessary. CAN opposed a structured 25-day adjustment but remained silent during prolonged ASUU strikes,” Baba-Ahmad…

Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has urged members of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Information Chapel to leverage their professional platform to expose and shame perpetrators of domestic violence in society. She emphasized the urgency of addressing this societal blight during the Year 2025 Ramadan lecture themed ‘Domestic violence, growing global concern, Islamic panacea to the rescue’. Addressing attendees at the event held at the mini Arcade Ground, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Engr. Salako-Oyedele stressed that domestic violence impacts everyone, whether as witnesses, victims, or perpetrators. Quoting Islamic teachings that forbid such acts, she stressed the need for collective action…