Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The De Renaissance Patriots Foundation (DRPF), a Lagos indigenes group, has kicked against a proposal by the Lagos State Government to transfer the issuance of indigene certificates from traditional institutions and local governments to a state ministry. The group said the move would amount to an erosion of ancestral rights and could lead to political manipulation, monetisation of indigene status and the gradual displacement of original Lagosians. DRPF disclosed this in a position paper presented after its leadership attended a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the state government on plans to digitalise and centralise the issuance of indigene certificates. According to…

A non-governmental organisation, the Ebubechukwu Eziokwe Foundation (EEF), has distributed educational materials to over 1,200 pupils across public primary schools in Umuchu Local Government Area of Anambra State as part of its 6th Annual Christmas Book Drive. The intervention, which took place on Thursday, was aimed at promoting educational inclusion and improving access to basic learning tools for children in rural communities. Beneficiaries received complete learning kits comprising six exercise books, pens and other essential writing materials. The distribution covered Community Primary School, Ibughubu; Mbarafor Primary School; Primary School, Umuchu; Holy Name Primary School; Central Primary School; and another Community…

The ancient city of Abeokuta came alive on Monday, December 22, 2025, as His Royal Majesty, Oba Dr. Mutiu Alani Adedimeji Oyede Lawal Sijuade Adukonu I, Oloola of Ilara Land, conferred a prestigious traditional title on popular Fresh FM presenter, Moses Fakeye, fondly known as Ajede. Fakeye was crowned the “Afi Ede Seso of Broadcasters” during a grand 3-in-1 celebration that combined his birthday, the graduation of Ajede Crew students, and the unveiling of a new studio project. The event, held beside Deeper Life Church, Leme/Sam Ewange area of Abeokuta, drew dignitaries, friends, and well-wishers from across the state. In…

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has unveiled a nationwide hotline to enable Nigerians report any MRS Oil Nigeria Plc filling stations selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) above the approved pump price of ₦739 per litre. The refinery said the move was part of efforts to enforce transparency, protect consumers and ensure that the benefits of its recent price reduction reach Nigerians across the country. In a statement on Monday, Dangote Refinery announced that the dedicated hotline, 0800 123 5264, is now active nationwide and can be used by motorists to promptly report violations at any of the over 2,000 MRS filling…

A devastating fire on Sunday afternoon razed Abagbo Garden and Hotel, a popular hospitality facility in the Kwankwashi area of Suleja, Niger State, leaving properties worth millions of naira destroyed and its owner rescued from an alleged suicide attempt. The inferno, which reportedly started from a generating set, spread rapidly across the premises, overwhelming initial efforts to contain it. Despite the swift intervention of men of the Niger State Fire Service from the Suleja Division, a substantial part of the hotel was consumed by the blaze. Eyewitnesses described the incident as a “mysterious fire” owing to the speed and scale…

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dele Momodu, has declared that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar currently has the strongest chance of emerging Nigeria’s President in the 2027 general election. Momodu, a publisher and presidential aspirant, said Atiku’s long-standing political experience, resilience and personal discipline place him ahead of other contenders eyeing the nation’s top job. He spoke on Monday while responding to questions during an X Space session titled “Avrilsspace: The Electoral Mathematics for 2027.” According to Momodu, Atiku, who has been in Nigeria’s presidential race for over three decades, could make history if he clinches victory…

A former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress and ex-Governor of Osun State, Chief Bisi Akande, has revealed that he personally nominated Prof. Yemi Osinbajo as the running mate to the late former President, Muhammadu Buhari, ahead of the 2015 general election. Akande said the decision followed consultations with President Bola Tinubu in 2011, contrary to widespread public belief that Tinubu single-handedly picked Osinbajo as Buhari’s vice-presidential candidate. The APC chieftain made the disclosure while speaking on State Affairs, a podcast hosted by Edmund Obilo, where he shed light on the behind-the-scenes political calculations that shaped the Buhari-Osinbajo ticket.…

Four men ;Olukayode Adeyemi Lisoyi, Chief Sikiru Olatunde Atobatele (Balogun of Egba), Mr Ade Kadejo and Mr Kabiru Adebesin, have been dragged before the Ogun State High Court over allegations bordering on malicious damage, intimidation and the alleged ill-treatment of a prominent community figure in Iboku-Aro, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area. The suit, filed at the Abeokuta Judicial Division, was instituted by Sunday Babatunde Aro-Oguntola, a block maker, farmer and heir apparent to the Baaleship of Iboku-Aro. In his statement of claim, Aro-Oguntola alleged that the defendants, whom he described as non-indigenes, migrated into Iboku-Aro and later became land speculators involved…

The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) in Kano State has arrested two young women for allegedly attempting to smuggle illicit drugs into the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Goron Dutse. The suspects, identified as Maryam Ali and Hauwa Musa, both aged between 19 and 20, were intercepted during routine security checks at the facility on Sunday, December 21, 2025. Confirming the arrest in a statement on Monday, the Public Relations Officer of the Kano State Command of the NCoS, Musbahu Lawan Nassarawa, said the women, who are residents of Kano State, were apprehended while trying to gain access to the custodial centre…

The Kano State Police Command has rescued a man accused of blasphemy from being lynched by an angry mob at a hotel in the Badawa area of Kano metropolis. The incident occurred at about 9:45 p.m. on Saturday at Sarina Hotel, Badawa Quarters, following allegations that the suspect desecrated the Holy Qur’an within the hotel premises. Security analyst, Zagazola Makama, who disclosed the development on Monday via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, said the suspect was in the company of two others when the incident happened. According to the account, three men identified as Musa Tasiu, Awwal Ibrahim and…