Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji The Chairperson of the Steering Committee of the Partnership Against Violent Extremism (PAVE), Mr. Jaye Gaskia, has called for a stronger partnership between the media and civil society organisations in combating violent extremism in Nigeria, warning that the failure to act collaboratively continues to worsen insecurity across the country. Gaskia made the call on Monday in Abuja during the Media Capacity Building Roundtable, Dialogue, and the official flag-off of the Media in PCVE Network (MAVE), also known as Media Against Violent Extremism. The event, which brought together journalists, editors, and civil society actors, also featured a two-day workshop…

The Federal Government on Monday hinted at plans to seek the repatriation of Simon Ekpa, the Nigerian-born Finnish separatist agitator, following his conviction and six-year jail term in Finland for terrorism-related offences. Ekpa, 40, was sentenced by the Päijät-Häme District Court after being found guilty of participating in terrorist activities, inciting violence for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act. He was also ordered to remain in custody throughout his jail term. The court ruled that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa exploited social media platforms to promote the violent secession of southeastern Nigeria under…

… Bayelsa, Delta, Rivers, Ogun among Flood-prone states With Low Shares … Over 1,200 communities, 107 LGs Placed On High Flood Alert …Citizens Lament Displacement, Disease Outbreaks, Loss Of Livelihood Despite receiving a staggering ₦22.9 billion as ecological funds in just five months of 2025, Nigerian states are still grappling with worsening flood threats that have already displaced millions and destroyed livelihoods across the country. Data released by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) shows that between January and May 2025, states collectively got ₦22.90bn from the federation account allocation committee (FAAC) under the ecological fund—designed to mitigate environmental challenges…

Yusroh Lawal  Residents across Ogun State have listed road repairs, job creation, improved healthcare, and support for traders among their top demands from Governor Dapo Abiodun, urging him to focus more on the needs of the grassroots. In a vox pop conducted by PLATFORM TIMES across Abeokuta, Sagamu and other parts of the state, traders, students, artisans, workers, and professionals highlighted pressing issues they want the governor to urgently address. At the bustling Sapon Market, a trader, Mama Rashidat, pleaded for financial assistance and better trading conditions. “Women traders need real support. Soft loans and better market facilities will help…

Daniel Osinyemi  At least 31 Nigerians have lost their lives in road crashes involving Dangote trucks within the last 21  months, an investigation by PLATFORM TIMES has revealed. The fatalities, recorded between November 2023 and August 2025, occurred in Ogun, Kogi, Lagos, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. They stem from crashes linked to brake failures, reckless overtaking, and alleged poor vehicle maintenance. In November 2023 , in Ogun State, a Dangote truck reportedly suffered brake failure and rammed into a commercial bus, killing three passengers instantly. In April 28, 2024 at  Okene on the Lokoja Highway, Kogi State, a…

The Office of the National Security Adviser has dismissed allegations by former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, that the Federal Government, through the ONSA, facilitates ransom payments and incentives for bandits. El-Rufai had in a recent television interview accused the government of indirectly “empowering” criminal groups, a claim that has now drawn sharp rebuttal from the NSA, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu. In a statement issued on Monday by the ONSA spokesperson, Zakari Mijinyawa, the office described the allegations as “baseless, misleading and a disservice to Nigeria’s security forces.” “Our policy has always been clear: we warn against paying ransom, and…

The Ladi Adebutu Development Organization has accused the Ogun State Government of undermining judicial processes and attempting to intimidate opposition voices through what it described as “reckless abuse of state power.” The group, in a statement signed by its Director of Media and Publicity, Afolabi Orekoya, on Monday, alleged that officials of the Ministry of Finance, under Governor Dapo Abiodun, issued a Notice of Default on one of the properties of Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu in Ode Remo, Remo North Local Government, despite ongoing litigation on the matter. According to the statement, the notice on the property was “a contemptuous attempt…

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has taken custody of 12 trafficked victims rescued by the Kano State Hisbah Board during a joint operation at Karota Luxurious Park, Hotoro, Kano. The victims, all females aged between 15 and 50, were intercepted on Sunday, August 31, while being transported to Ghana en route to Saudi Arabia for alleged labour exploitation. NAPTIP Kano Zonal Commander, Abdullahi Babale, who confirmed the development on Monday, said the victims were lured with promises of better job opportunities abroad but were being trafficked under deceitful arrangements. He revealed that the rescued…

The Federal Government on Monday described the conviction of Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism. Ekpa, who has been at the forefront of the violent sit-at-home campaign in the South-East, was sentenced to six years imprisonment by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland for terrorism-related offences. The court found him guilty of promoting terrorism and supporting a terrorist organisation by exploiting his large social media following to incite unrest in Nigeria’s South-East between August 2021 and November 2024. In a statement on X, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris,…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has faulted former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, over his recent forecast that President Bola Tinubu would only manage a third-place finish in the 2027 presidential election. El-Rufai, in a weekend interview, claimed that the 2027 contest could head into a second round since no candidate might secure an outright majority. He argued that Tinubu’s re-election chances were slim, insisting the President could, at best, come third. Reacting on Monday, Wike described the ex-governor’s prediction as “faulty mathematics,” saying it was illogical to predict a third-place finish without identifying the supposed first…