Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The federal government has earmarked N115 billion in the 2026 proposed budget to reintegrate former militants under the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), aimed at stabilizing the Niger Delta region and fostering sustainable development. The allocation, listed as an ongoing project under the service-wide vote of the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning, is part of the ministry’s N9.1 trillion budget in the 2026 appropriation bill. The ministry, which manages the nation’s budgetary planning, houses agencies such as the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Centre for Management Development (CMD), and the Nigerian Institute for Economic and Social Research (NISER). The Presidential…

In a significant development in Nigeria’s fight against corruption, authorities in Jersey have agreed to repatriate over $9.5 million (£7 million) in looted funds linked to the era of the late military ruler, Sani Abacha. The funds, traced to a bank account in the Channel Island, were deemed proceeds of corruption and will be returned under a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in December between Jersey’s Attorney General, Mark Temple KC, and Nigerian officials. The MoU builds on two earlier asset recovery agreements, which had already facilitated the return of more than $300 million (£230 million) stolen during Abacha’s regime.…

The President of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission over allegations of abuse of office and corrupt enrichment against a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Farouk Ahmed. Dangote’s legal team, led by Dr O.J. Onoja (SAN), urged the anti-graft agency to thoroughly investigate the allegations and prosecute Ahmed if found culpable, according to a statement issued by the Dangote Group on Friday. The development came days after the billionaire industrialist withdrew a similar petition earlier submitted to the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission.…

The National Industrial Court in Abuja has barred the National Association of Resident Doctors from embarking on its planned nationwide strike scheduled to commence on January 12, 2026. Justice Emmanuel Subilim, on Friday, granted an interim order restraining the association, its national leadership and members from proceeding with the industrial action pending the hearing of a substantive suit. The ex parte order followed an urgent application filed by the Federal Government through the Attorney General of the Federation, seeking to avert what it described as an imminent disruption of healthcare services across public hospitals. In his ruling, Justice Subilim specifically…

The Federal Ministry of Works has proposed a total of N12.39bn in the 2026 Appropriation Bill for the settlement of judgment debts, repayment of liabilities on completed projects and other administrative expenses. PLATFORM TIMES reports that details obtained from the budget estimates presented to the National Assembly by President Bola Tinubu on December 19, 2025, show that the ministry earmarked N5bn specifically for the settlement of judgment debts arising from court rulings against it. A breakdown of the allocation indicates that N1.4bn is meant to cover general judgment debts, while N3.99bn is set aside for a specific legal matter referenced…

Tension gripped the Fagge area of Kano State on Wednesday after residents accused personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps of torturing a suspect, Khalifa Usman Abdullahi, to death while in custody. The incident sparked spontaneous protests, with angry youths threatening to set the NSCDC office in the area ablaze as they demanded justice for the deceased. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that Abdullahi was allegedly arrested by NSCDC operatives over claims that he stole money belonging to some personnel of the corps. Instead of subjecting him to a formal investigation in line with established procedures, residents alleged that the…

A nutrition expert has raised the alarm over the worsening malnutrition crisis in Kano State, following revelations that more than half of children under the age of five in the state are stunted. The Chairman of the Institute of Dietetics in Nigeria (IDN), Kano State Chapter, Dr Auwal Musa Umar, disclosed that 51.9 per cent of children under five in Kano suffer from stunting, describing the figure as “deeply alarming” and a clear indicator of chronic malnutrition. Dr Umar made the disclosure in an interview, where he called for urgent and coordinated intervention by the government, media organisations and other…

The Bodija Estates and Environs Muslim Community (BEEMC) has inaugurated a new Executive Council, with former Chairman of the Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, Aare Isiaka Abiola Olagunju, SAN, emerging as Chairman, while Ibadan North APC chieftain, Alhaji Taofeek Olayiwola, was named Vice Chairman. The new leadership was unveiled on Sunday during the 32nd Annual General Meeting of the community held at the BEEMC Central Mosque, Bodija Housing Estate, Ibadan, PLATFORM TIMES reports. The well-attended AGM marked a transition in the affairs of the Muslim body, as members endorsed the new executive to pilot its activities for the next administrative…

No fewer than two million Nigerians are projected to slip into poverty in 2026, pushing the number of people living below the poverty line to about 141 million, or 62 per cent of the population, despite a gradual slowdown in inflation, a new report by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has warned The figure represents an increase from an estimated 139 million people in 2025 and marks the highest poverty rate ever recorded in Africa’s most populous country, according to PwC’s Nigeria Economic Outlook The professional services firm said the grim outlook reflects the lingering effects of policy gaps, global economic shocks and…

No fewer than 38 Nigerians lost their lives to electricity-related incidents between July and September 2025, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission has said. According to the Commission’s third-quarter safety report for 2025, the death toll represents an increase from the 33 fatalities recorded in the preceding quarter, underscoring persistent safety risks within the power sector. NERC disclosed that all the reported fatalities occurred at the distribution end of the electricity value chain, describing it as the most dangerous segment for consumers and workers alike. It noted that neither the Transmission Company of Nigeria nor any of the generation companies recorded…