Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Osun State, has dismissed as baseless the claims by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) that figures from the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the state were “statistically implausible.” INEC, in a statement signed by its Public Relations Officer, Musa Olurode, on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Olaleke Agboke, said Osun had consistently recorded high civic participation in voter registration, contrary to ADC’s insinuations. The electoral body described the ADC’s allegation as unfounded, stressing that Osun has a verifiable history of leading other states in online pre-registration during the build-up…

A young mother in Ebonyi State, Miss Nwanneka Susannah Nweze, has accused some police officers of the state command of trafficking and selling her newborn baby for N25 million after allegedly deceiving her with claims that she was in an “illegal marriage.” Susannah, who spoke during an interrogation session at the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID) Annex, Enugu, narrated how she was arrested in Afikpo by three officers who claimed they were acting on the orders of the Commissioner of Police in Ebonyi. The session, presided over by Assistant Inspector General of Police, Chukwudi Chris Ariekpere, was reportedly recorded on…

The Defence Headquarters on Tuesday dismissed allegations that the Nigerian Armed Forces were involved in making payments to bandits, insisting that such an approach had proven ineffective in addressing the country’s worsening insecurity. The Chief of Defence Operations, Major General Emeka Onumajuru, speaking on Channels Television, stressed that the military was not part of any arrangement to fund criminal groups operating in northern Nigeria. “The Armed Forces of Nigeria do not support the payment of money to criminal groups. We are not part of that arrangement,” he declared. Onumajuru explained that rather than ransom or inducements, the military had been…

Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, on Tuesday declared that his second-term ambition would never be pursued at the expense of human lives, warning political actors against actions that could plunge the state into violence. Oyebanji, in a statewide broadcast, expressed concern over what he described as “orchestrated violent campaigns” in parts of the state, alleging that some individuals had sponsored coordinated media and physical attacks against his administration. The governor maintained that the security of lives and property remained his top priority, stressing that no political aspiration should be nurtured with bloodshed. “A couple of days ago, we received intelligence…

….Nearly 15,000 students sought asylum after visa expiry in 2025 …Nigerians among thousands flagged in Home Office campaign The United Kingdom government has placed international students, including thousands of Nigerians, on a strict watchlist following rising cases of visa breaches and asylum claims. According to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), tens of thousands of foreign students are currently being contacted by the UK Home Office and warned against overstaying their visas, with the threat of deportation hanging over violators. The Home Office confirmed on Tuesday that it had begun sending emails and text messages to students, warning them of “swift…

The President of the Nigerian-Finnish Association and former Ogun State governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has hailed the six-year prison sentence handed to Simon Ekpa by a Finnish court, describing it as a decisive blow against terrorism. Ekpa, a self-acclaimed leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), was convicted by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on terrorism-related charges after months of trial. Reacting to the judgement on Tuesday, Daniel said the ruling was not only “resolute and judicious” but also a “watershed moment” in the global fight against violent extremism. “This verdict demonstrates that the tentacles of terrorism…

Wema Bank has intensified efforts to scale up its capital base as pressure mounts on tier-2 lenders to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) March 2026 recapitalisation deadline. A new report by SBM Intelligence titled “Capital, Competition, and Consolidation: How Nigeria’s Tier-2 Banks are Responding to the CBN’s 2026 Recapitalisation Order” spotlighted Wema Bank alongside Fidelity, FCMB, Stanbic IBTC and Sterling as institutions navigating the historic shake-up in Nigeria’s banking sector. The CBN had in March 2024 directed international banks to shore up capital to ₦500 billion, national banks to ₦200 billion, and regional banks to ₦50 billion before…

The Ogun State chapter of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to urgently revisit and complete abandoned projects initiated by his predecessor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun, warning that the neglect of such projects is worsening insecurity and road accidents in the state. The group, in a statement jointly signed by its chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Jimoh, and secretary, Alhaji Olaleye Rasheed, said projects embarked upon with taxpayers’ money are the democratic rights of the people and not privileges that can be discarded at will. MURIC identified several roads within Abeokuta that have become “death traps” due to…

A chieftain of the  Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, the State Director of Publicity,  Olufemi Nuberu, has defended the suspension of former governor and senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, insisting the action was in line with the party’s constitution and not a product of political vendetta. The development followed criticisms from Daniel’s camp, which dismissed the sanction as baseless and politically motivated. His media aide, Steve Oliyide, had described Governor Dapo Abiodun as a “budding emperor” bent on edging Daniel out of the APC, arguing that the suspension lacked legal or moral grounds. “This so-called…

The convoy of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, came under a violent attack in Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi State capital, on Monday, leaving several people injured and about 10 vehicles vandalised. Malami, who now leads the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the state, had returned from a condolence visit when suspected political thugs pounced on his convoy near the state capital. Witnesses said the attackers, armed with dangerous weapons and stones, descended on the convoy, shattering windscreens and leaving some of Malami’s supporters wounded. Speaking after the incident, Malami alleged that the hoodlums emerged…