Author: Platform Times Newspaper

In a sweeping disciplinary action, the National Judicial Council (NJC) has approved the compulsory retirement of ten judges from the Imo State Judiciary over various acts of misconduct, with age falsification topping the list of infractions. In a statement issued late Thursday, the NJC disclosed that nine of the judges were found guilty of altering their dates of birth in official records in a bid to unlawfully extend their stay in office. The affected judges include five from the High Court and four from the Customary Court of Appeal: Justices M. E. Nwagboso, B. C. Iheka, K. A. Leaweanya, Okereke…

Former Nigerian President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, has called for an urgent overhaul of Africa’s governance structure, declaring that the Western-style liberal democracy inherited from colonial masters is failing the continent. Obasanjo made the call on Thursday while delivering a keynote address at the 32nd Annual Meetings of the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) in Abuja. The theme of the event was “African Renaissance in an Era of Turbulence: Are the Lions Still on the Move?” The former President challenged African countries to revisit and draw lessons from their indigenous pre-colonial systems of governance, which he said were more inclusive, people-oriented, and…

Nigeria has been ranked as the 12th poorest country in the world by gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, according to a new report by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) published by Visual Capitalist. The report, released Tuesday, placed Nigeria’s GDP per capita at $807, positioning Africa’s most populous nation among the bottom 15 out of 50 countries surveyed globally. This ranking starkly contrasts with Nigeria’s reputation as one of Africa’s largest economies by overall GDP. South Sudan was listed as the poorest country worldwide, with a GDP per capita of $251, followed by Yemen, Burundi, Central African Republic, and…

In a major crackdown on transnational crime, the Nigeria Police Force has rescued 46 Ghanaian nationals trafficked into the country and arrested seven suspects connected to a cross-border human trafficking and cyber fraud syndicate. The operations, coordinated by the INTERPOL National Central Bureau (NCB) in Abuja, followed a tip-off from INTERPOL NCB in Accra, Ghana, according to a statement issued by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Thursday. Adejobi revealed that the first sting operation led to the rescue of 31 Ghanaians who were lured to Nigeria under false promises of employment in Europe. Instead, they were coerced…

The House of Representatives has initiated a formal investigation into an alleged N6 billion contract scandal involving the Nigerian Police Force’s Procurement Department. The decision followed a motion of urgent national importance moved on Thursday by Hon. Ibe Osonwa, representing Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State, during plenary in Abuja. Osonwa alleged that the Police Procurement Department illegally awarded a N6 billion contract for uniforms to Crown Natures Ltd. by fragmenting the deal into 66 smaller contracts. This, he said, was a deliberate attempt to sidestep the Public Procurement Act of 2007. “The Nigerian Police Force Procurement Department is alleged…

As Nigerian Muslims join their counterparts worldwide to mark the beginning of the Islamic New Year, Hijrah 1447 A.H, the Muslim Media Practitioners of Nigeria (MMPN) has renewed its call on the Federal and state governments to declare Muharram 1, the first day of the Islamic calendar, as a national public holiday. In a statement signed and released on Thursday by its National President, Alhaji Abdur-Rahman Balogun, the MMPN said the recognition of the Islamic New Year as a work-free day would promote fairness and religious inclusion, mirroring the public holiday granted to Christians every January 1 in observance of…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that 110 political associations have officially submitted letters of intent seeking registration as political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections. Among the top associations is the Obidient Peoples Party (OPP), stirring public interest due to its apparent allusion to the widely popular “Obidient Movement” that gained momentum in support of Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, during the 2023 polls. According to a document released by INEC on Wednesday, the protem chairman of the OPP is Barry Avotu Johnson. The group has listed its operational headquarters as No. 3 Mekanbo Close,…

President Bola Tinubu has described opposition leaders attempting to form a new political coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections as “political internally displaced persons (IDPs)” seeking relevance. Speaking on Wednesday during the inauguration of legacy projects in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, Tinubu dismissed the emerging coalition as an unserious and premature political adventure aimed at destabilising his administration. The president was in the state at the invitation of Governor Abdullahi Sule, whose administration he praised for prudent management of state resources and commitment to development. Tinubu’s comments come days after former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and former Kaduna State…

A traditional ruler (Baale) in Laaagba community, Ondo East Local Government area of Ondo State,Chief Adeniyi Ifedayo has been arrested by the State Police Command for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl. Chief i Ifedayo, was reported to have lured the girl into his house in the community and harboured her in the house for two weeks where he sexually assaulted her. Recounting her ordeal, the minor, who is currently recuperating in an undisclosed health facility in Ondo town, said she was lured to the house of the monarch by a commercial motorcycle rider in the community. “The Baale kept me…

A Borno State High Court sitting in Maiduguri has sentenced controversial activist, Aisha Alkali Wakil, popularly known as Mama Boko Haram, to another 14 years imprisonment over an N11 million contract scam. Wakil, along with Tahiru Saidu Daura and Prince Lawal Shoyode, was convicted on Wednesday by Justice Aisha Kumaliya, who found them guilty of two counts of conspiracy and obtaining money under false pretence. The trio, who operated under the non-governmental organisation Complete Care and Aid Foundation, was initially arraigned on September 14, 2020, by the Maiduguri Zonal Directorate of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). According to…