Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Kwara State Government has filed a criminal defamation charge against former Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, at the Kwara State High Court, over alleged false statements against Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq. The charge, instituted by the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ayoola Idowu Akande, and Assistant Chief State Counsel, B.L. Abdulsalam, accused Saraki of publishing defamatory claims on social media and in newspaper publications. According to the prosecution, Saraki, on or about April 17, 2026, allegedly circulated statements across Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and other media platforms, claiming that Governor AbdulRazaq…

Daud Olatunji A United Kingdom court has cleared former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, of all six counts of bribery brought against her by the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), bringing an end to a high-profile corruption trial that lasted five months and followed nearly a decade of investigations. Alison-Madueke, who served as Nigeria’s oil minister between 2010 and 2015 and later became the first female President of the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), was discharged on Wednesday after a jury at Southwark Crown Court found her not guilty of accepting financial or other advantages linked to oil…

A Professor of Resource and Development Economics, Prof. Rasaki Olufemi Kareem, on Tuesday delivered the inaugural lecture of Crescent University, Abeokuta, where he raised concerns over Nigeria’s management of its vast natural endowments despite persistent underdevelopment. The lecture, titled “Resource Efficiency vs Economic Development: Whither Nigeria?”, marked the university’s Inaugural Lecture 01 and drew a large academic audience to the Bola Ajibola Auditorium, where the scholar was applauded for what many described as a thought-provoking presentation. Reflecting on his academic journey and professional progression, Kareem used the platform to interrogate Nigeria’s development paradox, questioning why a resource-rich nation continues to…

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, on Wednesday pledged that his administration would be anchored on transparency, accountability and prudent management of public funds, insisting he would not engage in corruption if elected in the 2027 general election. Adebutu made the declaration at a large political rally held at the PDP secretariat in Abeokuta, where the party also staged a high-profile reception for former senator Iyabo Obasanjo and formally presented her with the party’s senatorial ticket for Ogun Central. The event drew party leaders, supporters and stakeholders from across Ogun State,…

Daud Olatunji A former senator and daughter of ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, on Wednesday, declared that Ogun Central would no longer accept political marginalisation, insisting that the zone must produce the next deputy governor of the state. Obasanjo  made the declaration at a massive rally held at the secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abeokuta, where she was formally received into the party and presented with its senatorial ticket for Ogun Central. Her comments come amid growing political tension in the state following her defection from the All Progressives Congress (APC), which she accused of sidelining…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (Independent National Electoral Commission) in Ondo State has announced the commencement of the distribution of sensitive electoral materials ahead of the Ondo South Senatorial District bye-election. In a public notice issued and signed  on Wednesday, by the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, Olayinka Ogunseye, the commission stated that the exercise will cover the six local government areas participating in the bye-election. According to the statement, the distribution of materials  takes place at the Central Bank of Nigeria (Central Bank of Nigeria), Akure branch, Ondo State, on Wednesday. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the commission…

Grace Adeleke Ogun State has recorded more than 130,236 people currently living with HIV and 782,005 new HIV diagnoses over a five-year period, according to an investigation by PLATRORM TIMES based on official health statistics obtained from the Ogun State Agency for the Control of AIDS (OGSACA). The figures, covering 2020 to 2025, highlight the scale of HIV burden in the state alongside fluctuating yearly case reports and treatment coverage. According to the data, 38,093 HIV cases were recorded in 2021, out of which 25,554 people were placed on antiretroviral therapy. The report, however, indicated no recorded cases for 2022.…

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a medical doctor, a traditional birth attendant (TBA), and the parents of a newborn baby over the alleged sale of the child for ₦2.5 million inside a private hospital in Ikorodu. The suspects include a 31-year-old doctor, a 28-year-old mother, her boyfriend, and a traditional birth attendant, all of whom are currently in police custody as investigations intensify into the suspected child trafficking network. Police said the case, which is being treated as conspiracy, child stealing and trafficking, was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Anti-Human Trafficking and Gender Unit, following…

… Cocoa Powder Imports Hit ₦9.55bn As Agricultural Trade Deficit Widens Nigeria spent about ₦23 billion importing crude palm oil from neighbouring West African countries within the first three months of 2026, despite being one of Africa’s largest producers of the commodity, according to foreign trade data. Figures obtained from the Foreign Trade Statistics report released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the import bill covered January to March 2026 and placed crude palm oil among the key agricultural products brought into the country during the period. The development highlights a growing contradiction in Africa’s largest economy, where…

Nigeria spent about N20.4 billion on the importation of umbrellas, sunshades, footwear, headgear, whips and related consumer goods in the first quarter of 2026, fresh trade data has revealed. Figures obtained from the Foreign Trade Statistics for Q1 2026 released by the National Bureau of Statistics showed that the expenditure covered a range of items including umbrellas, sunshades, headgear, footwear, whips and other unspecified consumer goods. The spending, which occurred between January and March 2026, highlights the sustained appetite for imported consumer products in Nigeria despite long-standing government calls for increased local production and industrial substitution. Beyond consumer goods, the…