Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs Didi Walson-Jack, on Monday admitted that the controversial Presidential Economic Advisory Council/Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council participated in the Federal Government’s budget process and obtained approval for 314 staff positions despite questions over its legal status. Walson-Jack disclosed this while testifying before the House of Representatives Ad-hoc Committee investigating the circumstances surrounding the existence and operations of the council. She, however, maintained that the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation did not create or establish the council, insisting that the approval of government agencies falls…

A Shari’a Court sitting in Magajin Gari, Kaduna State, on Monday ordered a pregnancy test to determine whether a divorced woman, Khadija Abdurrahman, is pregnant following a dispute with her former husband. The presiding judge, Malam Mu’awiya Shehu, directed both parties to visit Yusuf Dantsoho General Hospital in Kaduna for the medical examination and ordered them to return to court with the test result on August 11. The order followed a suit filed by businessman Muhammad Auwal, who asked the court to establish the true pregnancy status of his former wife after receiving conflicting information from her. Through his counsel,…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday granted bail to the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Bodejo, in the sum of N2 billion over alleged money laundering charges filed against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Justice Inyang Ekwo, who delivered the ruling, admitted Bodejo to bail with two sureties in like sum and imposed stringent conditions for his release. The court directed that one of the sureties must be a resident of Abuja and provide evidence of three years’ tax clearance, while the second surety must own landed property in the Federal Capital…

Four police officers attached to the Federal Capital Territory Police Command have been arrested for allegedly extorting the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, Dr Musa Aliyu (SAN), of ₦53,000 at an illegal checkpoint in Abuja. The officers, who reportedly did not know the identity of the anti-graft agency chairman, allegedly forced him to withdraw the money from a nearby Point of Sale operator before collecting and sharing the proceeds among themselves. The FCT Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Sanusi, disclosed the incident on Monday while briefing journalists in Abuja, describing the suspects as “criminals” who…

Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, has threatened to strip the National Union of Road Transport Workers of the management of motor parks across the state if recurring violence linked to the union persists. The governor issued the warning on Monday following fresh clashes at motor parks in Osogbo, the state capital, where gunshots reportedly disrupted commercial activities and sent commuters and residents fleeing for safety. A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said Adeleke condemned what he described as a coordinated disturbance of public peace allegedly led by a chieftain identified as Asiri Eniba and some members of the…

The death toll from Sunday’s boat accident in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State has risen to six, while 34 farmers and labourers remain missing as rescue teams intensify search operations. The tragic incident occurred around 4:30 p.m. at Malamawar Yan Dutse community when a boat conveying about 40 passengers capsized while crossing a river. Confirming the development on Monday, the spokesperson for the Jigawa State Police Command, SP Shi’isu Adam, said six bodies had so far been recovered from the river. He disclosed that a joint rescue operation involving the police, the Jigawa State Emergency Management Agency and…

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a married couple for allegedly operating a drug warehouse in Benin City, Edo State, where more than 412 kilogrammes of suspected cannabis were recovered. The Edo State Commander of the NDLEA, Mitchell Ofoyeju, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, saying the suspects were arrested following credible intelligence that led operatives to the warehouse located along Sapele Road in the state capital. The suspects were identified as Christian Chukwuka, 32, and his wife, Nwanneka Christian, 33, both said to be natives of Ndokwa in Delta State. According to Ofoyeju,…

…Union Says Soaring Prices Have Reduced Pensions To Poverty Wages …Warns Govt To Honour Obligations To Workers, Retirees Daud Olatunji The Nigeria Labour Congress has declared its readiness for a nationwide campaign to secure a comprehensive review of the national minimum wage, warning that organised labour is prepared for a major struggle to compel improved welfare for workers and retirees. The NLC also announced plans to push for the establishment of a national minimum pension, insisting that pensioners should no longer be left out of government wage and welfare reforms. NLC President, Joe Ajaero, disclosed this on Sunday during the…

Former Minister of State for Defence, Musiliu Obanikoro, has maintained that he won the 2007 Lagos State governorship election, nearly two decades after the poll, but declared that he has permanently shelved any ambition to become governor of the state. Obanikoro, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, made the remarks during an interview on Mic On podcast hosted by Channels Television’s Seun Okinbaloye. The former Lagos commissioner, who contested the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, said although the official result declared former governor Babatunde Fashola of the then Action Congress as winner, he remained convinced…

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested four suspected kidnappers in separate operations across the state, thwarting a fresh abduction attempt and recovering a locally fabricated pistol, live ammunition and other items allegedly linked to kidnapping and armed robbery. The command said the operations also uncovered a suspected kidnapping syndicate believed to have been involved in previous abductions of Point of Sale operators, with victims allegedly forced to pay millions of naira in ransom. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday while highlighting the command’s recent security operations. According…