Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Dangote Refinery has applauded the Nigerian judiciary for what it described as its courage and fairness in upholding the rule of law amid recent disputes, while also reiterating its commitment to employee welfare and national development. In a statement issued at the weekend, the management of the refinery said it remained resolute in building a workplace culture that rewards performance, protects workers’ dignity, and ensures a safe environment. “Through continuous training, mentorship and professional development, we create visible pathways for growth, thereby empowering our employees to advance into leadership roles and build long-term, fulfilling careers,” the company said. The…

Daud Olatunji The deaths of two students of Ilugun High School, Elega, Abeokuta, Ogun State, allegedly chased into a river by Amotekun operatives, have ripped the veil off the rot in the state’s public schools—an ugly mix of indiscipline, sex, drugs, extortion, and heavy-handed policing. The victims—19-year-old SS1 student, Ayomide Babalola, and a physically challenged female student, identified simply as Esther—had left their parents’ homes for school on that fateful day. Hours later, they were found drowned in a river near the school, allegedly while fleeing operatives of the Amotekun Corps invited by the school authorities. “He never missed school”…

The Nigerian Army on Sunday dismissed reports that bandits overran troops in Obanla, Kwara State, carting away heavy weapons and ammunition, insisting that its operational bases remain intact. An online platform had reported that the armed group, which has been linked to recent killings in Kogi State, allegedly seized at least six General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) and over 30,000 rounds of ammunition from soldiers during an ambush in Kwara last month. Quoting a senior military source, the report claimed the weapons haul boosted the capacity of the bandits now terrorising communities in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi,…

The Emir of Kano and former Central Bank of Nigeria governor, Muhammad Sanusi II, has called on financial regulators to compel banks to disclose the number and value of loans granted to women-led businesses as part of efforts to close Nigeria’s gender financing gap. Sanusi made the call on Thursday in Lagos while delivering a goodwill message at the third Gender Impact Investment Summit and the launch of the Gender Equity and Social Inclusion (GESI) Roadmap 2025–2035. He argued that mandatory disclosure would drive healthy competition among banks while exposing those with poor records of supporting women entrepreneurs. > “Nobody…

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has described teachers as the foundation upon which all other professions are built, declaring that education remains the cornerstone of national development. Abiodun stated this on Thursday during the 2025 World Teachers’ Day celebration, themed “Recasting Teaching as a Collaborating Profession,” held at the Cultural Centre, Kuto, Abeokuta. Represented by his deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, the governor said the theme underscored the need to reimagine the teaching space as one anchored on teamwork, mentorship, shared learning, and mutual support. “Teaching is not an isolated endeavour, but a collective mission that draws strength from cooperation…

… Say Project Threatens Nigeria’s Food Sovereignty, Smallholder Farmers … Warn Of Health Risks, Displacement,  “Industrial Food Colonialism” Daud Olatunji Civil society groups, farmers, community leaders, and other stakeholders in the South-West have raised alarm over the $2.5 billion industrial animal farming investment plan by Brazilian meat giant, JBS S.A., warning that it poses a major threat to Nigeria’s food sovereignty, environment, and public health. The concerns were contained in a communiqué issued at the end of a regional workshop on the implications of industrial animal farming, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State, on September 30, 2025. The participants described Nigeria…

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has raised the alarm over what it described as a deliberate plot by entrenched interests to cripple the operations of the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery, warning that the move could destabilize Nigeria’s fragile economy and discourage foreign investment. In a strongly worded statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. T.A. Muhammad-Baba, the northern socio-political group said the refinery — Nigeria’s largest and most modern indigenous crude oil processing plant — had faced “an unrelenting onslaught” since its inception. According to the ACF, the challenges confronting the refinery — ranging from regulatory interference to…

The Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission (PCACC) has opened a full-scale investigation into the alleged diversion of more than N4 billion of state funds into the Dala Inland Dry Port project during the administration of former governor Dr. Abdullahi Umar Ganduje. The anti-graft agency said the probe followed several petitions alleging that the Ganduje-led administration injected over N4bn into the inland port project, despite Kano State having been stripped of its equity ownership. According to findings, the state originally held a 20 per cent equity stake in the multi-billion-naira project. However, in 2020, that equity was allegedly converted…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has dismantled two major cocaine cartels responsible for six United Kingdom–bound drug consignments, arresting their ring leader, Alhaji Hammed Taofeek Ode, and five other suspects in a series of sting operations across Lagos. The operations, which spanned three weeks, uncovered sophisticated concealment methods including stainless cups, body cream containers, and hair gel jars. The breakthrough followed the interception of 174 parcels of cocaine weighing 13.4kg at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja, on September 16, 2025. The drugs were hidden in cocoa butter body cream jars. NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, in a…

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have stepped up reconciliatory moves as both camps met again in Port Harcourt on Saturday night in a bid to consolidate peace in the troubled state. The meeting, which lasted into the early hours of Sunday, was hosted at the residence of elder statesman, Chief Ferdinand Alabraba, and had in attendance top political leaders loyal to Wike alongside allies of Governor Fubara. It came days after the governor directed commissioners affected by the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Rivers political crisis to…