Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force in Gombe State have recovered a Toyota Highlander stolen in Port Harcourt nearly five years ago, following a routine vehicle verification exercise. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the breakthrough occurred on June 8, 2026, when officers of the State Intelligence Department, working alongside officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps, detected irregularities during a vehicle data verification and upload exercise at the state’s licence office. The Police Public Relations Officer, Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed in a statement on Saturday that the suspicious vehicle—a Toyota Highlander with registration number FH823PHC—was flagged during the process. According to him,…

The Organisation for Harmony and Peace has expressed concern over emerging political alignments ahead of the 2027 general elections in Ogun State, warning that issues of equity and inclusiveness must not be overlooked. The group, through its Directorate of Political Affairs, noted that recent developments within major political parties indicate the possible emergence of two prominent Muslim women as deputy governorship candidates, a trend it said has sparked renewed debate over fairness in the state’s political structure. In a statement issued on Saturday by its President-General, Ustaadh Tajudeen Jimoh Alao, and made available to journalists by its Director of Media,…

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress in Ogun State, Alhaji Fasiu Ajadi, has dismissed claims that the party is unsettled by recent defections, insisting that the ruling party remains firmly on course ahead of the 2027 governorship election Ajadi, who is a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly Service Commission, said the APC was not in any panic mode despite the movement of some of its members to opposition parties, particularly the Peoples Democratic Party. Speaking on a radio programme, Political Forum, on Splash FM in Abeokuta, Ajadi described the defections as a normal occurrence in the…

…Party Agents, Security Operatives Implicated In Cash-For-Votes Scheme … Low Turnout, BVAS Glitches Disenfranchise Voters Across LGAs Daud Olatunji Widespread vote buying, bribery of electoral officials and low voter turnout characterised Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State, despite largely peaceful voting across many polling units. Findings by observers across several local government areas, with data provided by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development to PLATFORM TIMES, revealed that while the election was generally calm, incidents of voter inducement, procedural violations and technical failures raised concerns about the integrity of the exercise. In Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area, vote buying was…

Fawaz Adebisi Eyewitnesses, deployed by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, CJID for the Ekiti State governorship election say they saw party agents hand cash directly to voters on Saturday, as fresh field reports add weight to earlier suspicions of an organised vote-buying scheme. In Emure LGA, a monitor at St Andrew’s Primary School reported around 9:50 a.m. that groups of ten voters at a time were being directed to a nearby venue and promised ₦10,000 each after casting their ballots. Some voters were heard saying, in Yoruba, that they had already secretly collected the money before voting. At…

…Missing Officials, Faulty Generators, Protest By NYSC Members Recorded …INEC Insists Setbacks Resolved Before Nightfall Daud Olatunji All is set for the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, with 15 political parties fielding candidates amid assurances of adequate security by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force, even as last-minute logistical gaps and uneven deployment were recorded across several local government areas. The election, which is expected to be keenly contested, has four major contenders dominating the race: the All Progressives Congress (APC), with Governor Biodun Oyebanji seeking re-election; the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), represented…

…Suspect Led 100 Armed Men In Plateau Mass Killings-DSS The Federal High Court in Abuja and a Plateau State High Court have in separate terrorism trials delivered fresh revelations and convictions in ongoing prosecutions against suspects linked to deadly attacks across Nigeria, including the 2014 Nyanya motor park bombing and coordinated assaults on communities in Plateau State. At the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice James Omotosho on Friday sentenced a 37-year-old man, Zakaria Garba, to death by hanging for his role in the 2014 Nyanya motor park bombing, one of the deadliest terror attacks in the Federal Capital Territory.…

The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, has summoned native doctors, traditional priests and priestesses to an urgent palace meeting over the worsening insecurity in Edo State. The meeting, according to a statement issued by the Benin Traditional Council, is scheduled to hold at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at the Oba’s palace in Benin City. The statement, signed by Victor Nosakhare on behalf of the Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irabor, said the emergency gathering was convened under the directive of the monarch and must be treated with utmost urgency by…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two women—identified as Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi—to 40 years imprisonment each for their roles in supporting terrorism-related activities linked to a suspected bandit kingpin, Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo. Justice Hauwa Yilwa handed down the judgment on Thursday after both defendants, who were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS), pleaded guilty to counts bordering on aiding and abetting terrorism as well as concealment of critical information about terrorist operations. The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation prosecuted the case. The convicts, said to be the mother and sister of…

Families of military officers detained over an alleged coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have raised serious concerns over the treatment of their relatives, alleging torture, prolonged incommunicado detention and denial of access to legal representation, and are demanding a transparent and open trial process. The families, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Friday, called for urgent intervention by relevant authorities, insisting that while they are not challenging the ongoing court martial, the process must comply with constitutional safeguards and international human rights standards. Speaking on behalf of the group, activist Aishatu Yesufu alleged that the detained officers had…