Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Police operatives have apprehended an eight-month pregnant woman, identified as the leader of an oil bunkering syndicate, along with her husband and six other suspects.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that the arrests were made in the South-East region of Nigeria. The Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this development on Wednesday during a press briefing in Abuja.  He confirmed that the suspects were detained on July 4th, although he refrained from naming the exact state where the operation took place.  According to Adejobi, the suspects were deeply involved in an organized syndicate specialising in tampering with oil pipelines and the…

A wave of fear has gripped the Gidinye community in Obi Local Government Area of Nasarawa State following the tragic death of five children within a span of 24 hours.  The children, aged between five and 15, succumbed to severe symptoms after consuming food on a family farm. Gidinye, part of the Jenkwe Development Area, is home to thousands, including a significant number of children.  The community is now in mourning and alarmed by the sudden loss of these young lives.  Investigation reveals that the children complained of stomach aches, vomiting, and diarrhoea on Monday and Tuesday.  According to Samuel…

Amnesty International has accused Nigerian security forces of killing at least 21 protesters during a week of rallies against economic hardship, the national head of the rights group told AFP on Wednesday. Police have clamped down on protests after thousands of people joined protests against government policies and the high cost of living last week. AFP correspondents have seen security forces shooting rifles above crowds and firing tear gas to break up demonstrations. Security forces have denied responsibility for deaths during the protests, which have since dwindled. Raising an earlier toll of 13, Amnesty’s Nigeria director, Isa Sanusi, said the…

A Member of the House of Representatives for Ideato North and South Federal Constituency of Imo State, and an anti-corruption crusader, Ikenga  Ugochinyere,has denied allegations that he bribed the  Speaker of House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas with $1.7 million to secure his position as House Committee Chairman on Downstream Petroleum.  Ugochinyere described the claims as absurd fabrications by “scared oil thieves and their errand agents” aimed at diverting attention from deep-seated corruption in Nigeria’s oil sector. In a statement released by his Chief of Staff, Ernest Njesi, and.made available to PLATFORM TIMES on Wednesday, Ugochinyere asserted that the accusations were…

The Seventh SixthSense Summer Children Reading Camp has announced plans to honour two distinguished supporters of the initiative: His Royal Majesty Oba Professor Saka Matemilola FNSE Otileta VII, Olowu Oluyalo of Owu Kingdom, Abeokuta, and Nobel Laureate Professor Akinwande Oluwole Soyinka. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the honours come as part of the camp’s efforts to foster a love for reading among children. A statement released  by Founder and Coordinator of The SixthSense Initiative, Abiodun Lasile  to PLATFORM TIMES stated that the  camp, which officially opened on Sunday, August 4th, will run until Saturday, August 10th, 2024. The statement further stated…

By Jeff Godwin Doki Ph. D Oedipus Rex, that Greek mythology which has been popularised by Sophocles and Nigeria’s Ola Rotimi, presents to us a king who has demonstrated abundantly that a ruler cannot command everything. In that play, we are dealing with a contrast between the supreme will of the gods and the vain attempts of mankind to escape the evil that threatens them. Destined by the gods to kill his father and marry his mother, all of Oedipus’efforts to avoid that prophecy only reveal his own impotence as a human being. But most importantly, the lesson we learn…

The 19 northern governors of Nigeria, led by Governor Caleb Muftwang of Plateau State, are set to commence urgent discussions on the region’s burgeoning birth rate, which Muftwang has described as a “time bomb.”  The governor sounded the alarm on the severe lack of infrastructure for human capital development, which he warned could exacerbate banditry and terrorism in the region. Speaking on a  Television’s programme on Tuesday, Muftwang criticised the northern elite for their neglect of the local youth.  He highlighted the disparity between the elite, who send their children to prestigious schools both locally and internationally, and the vulnerable…

The Media Office of former Kogi State Governor, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, has vehemently denied allegations linking him to the ongoing #Endbadgovernance protests across Nigeria.  In a statement released on Tuesday and signed by Michael Ohiare, the office dismissed the claims as part of a calculated effort by adversaries to tarnish Bello’s reputation. The statement, which was made available to journalists in Lokoja, described the allegations as part of a “high-wired plan” by disgruntled elements and those involved in what it termed the “Project Bring Down Yahaya Bello.”  It said these groups are attempting to falsely accuse Bello of sponsoring the…

No fewer than 4,877 victims of human trafficking from Nigeria have voluntarily returned to the country since 2017, a report by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has revealed.  The victims, repatriated under the IOM’s Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) programme, highlight the persistent challenges posed by human trafficking and irregular migration. The report disclosed that women and girls constituted nearly 88 per cent (4,261) of the returnees, while men accounted for 13 per cent (616).  This alarming gender disparity underscores the vulnerability of women and girls to traffickers, particularly those within the age bracket of 18 to 39…

Justice T. N. Nzeukwu of the Imo State High Court has sentenced Desmond Eke, the founder of Deliverance Ministry of the Good Shepherd in Umuehieta Avu, Owerri West Local Government Area, to eight years imprisonment for raping a member’s wife. The court found Eke guilty of exploiting the trust placed in him by the victim, a member of his congregation, who was in a vulnerable state.  Eke faced three charges, including rape and administering a stupefying substance to the victim, rendering her dizzy and weak.  The prosecution counsel, Chioma Emuka, detailed how Eke took advantage of the woman in her…