Author: Platform Times Newspaper

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…

Residents of Sodeke-Titun Ilupeju, Oke Odo and 22 other communities in Sabo area of Abeokuta North Local Government Area, on Wednesday, staged a peaceful protest to demand urgent intervention from Governor Dapo Abiodun over a dilapidated bridge threatening their access to neighbouring communities. The protesters, who turned out in large numbers, warned that the only bridge linking their communities to the Lafenwa-Sabo axis was on the verge of collapse, raising fears of imminent isolation. Displaying placards with inscriptions such as “Asejere CDA Needs Government Intervention, Please Help!”, “No Road, No Bridge, Yet You Tax Us”, and “Save Our Communities from…

A Federal High Court sitting in Ibadan, Oyo State, has ordered the University College Hospital (UCH) to pay ₦1.5 million in damages and legal costs to a lawyer, Kehinde Taiwo, over what the court described as unlawful interference with his vehicle and the removal of its battery by hospital security operatives. Delivering judgment, Justice N. A. Maha held that the claimant had proved his case in part and was entitled to compensation for the actions of the hospital’s security personnel, which the court found to be unjustified in the circumstances. The court awarded ₦1 million as general damages for psychological…

…Outbreak Hits Multiple LGA, Experts Raise Fresh Health Concerns Grace Adeleke A PLATFORM TIMES investigation has revealed that Ogun State recorded no fewer than 835 cholera cases and 24 deaths between 2021 and 2025, raising fresh concerns over recurring outbreaks and public health preparedness across affected communities. Data obtained by this newspaper showed that the waterborne disease hit several local government areas within the five-year period, with varying degrees of severity and fatality. Findings indicated that 2021 recorded the highest burden, with 471 suspected cases and 10 deaths, translating to a case fatality rate of 2.1 per cent. The outbreak…

The Grand Union of Private Schools Association has directed all private school operators in Ogun State to immediately strengthen security measures across their campuses amid rising concerns over threats to learners and teachers. The directive followed an emergency stakeholders’ meeting convened by the association to review growing insecurity in the education sector, particularly in the wake of recent attacks on schools in parts of the country. In a statement signed by its President-General, Abdulazeez Ajibola, the association warned that no meaningful education could thrive in an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, stressing that urgent, coordinated action was required to safeguard…