Author: Platform Times Newspaper

… Experts Call For Male Involvement, Media action To Break Cultural Myths Daud Olatunji The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that Nigeria risks a surge in Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) cases if urgent steps are not taken to dismantle myths and traditions sustaining the practice, particularly in the South-West. Despite being outlawed, Nigeria still ranks third globally in FGM prevalence, with nearly 20 million women and girls already subjected to the procedure, mostly before their sixth birthday. Speaking at a two-day media dialogue on advocacy against FGM, Chief of UNICEF Lagos Field Office, Celine Lafoucriere, described the practice…

Daniel Osiyemi  Convener of  a socio-political group, the United Premier Movement (UPM),  Olalekan  Shoyinka (popularly known as Ayinla Egba),  has accused the Ogun State Government under Governor Dapo Abiodun of failing to deliver quality road projects while allegedly posturing as an authority on technical standards. Ayinla Egba  in a strongly worded rejoinder he personally  signed,  described as “hypocrisy” the governor’s recent directive demanding strict adherence to technical specifications on a federal road project in Sagamu. “It is ironic that an administration notorious for substandard roads now seeks to lecture others about technical standards,” Shoyinka said. According to him, most of…

The Rector of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic (MAPOLY), Dr. Jolaoso Koye, will lead other distinguished personalities to Abeokuta for the 8th Annual Lecture and Empowerment Programme of the S.A. Rasheed Foundation. The two-day event, organised in collaboration with the Society of Muslim Professionals, is billed to begin on Friday, September 26, 2025, with a special Jumat service at the Society of Muslim Professionals Mosque, Solar Distinct Hill-top, Abiola-Way, Abeokuta. The main lecture will hold the next day, Saturday, September 27, at the Solar Distinct Group of Schools Hall, opposite Crown Royal Hotel, Asero, Abeokuta, starting at 10:00 a.m. This year’s theme,…

Daud Olatunji  Nigerians in the Diaspora have called on President Bola Tinubu and the leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to ensure that the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, is subjected to a transparent investigation over alleged corruption and abuse of office before being allowed to contest elective positions in 2027 and 2029. The call followed a communiqué issued after an anti-corruption conference held on September 18, 2025, at the University of Lagos, organised by the Faculty of Social Sciences in collaboration with the Pan-Africana Strategic Group (PANAFSTRAG) and the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC). The group, led…

Two Nigerians have been arrested in separate police operations in India for allegedly running drug cartels valued at over N700 million. The suspects, identified as Chima Ibe, 40, and Chimezie Lazarus, 35, were apprehended in Maharashtra and Delhi, respectively, following weeks of surveillance by Indian anti-narcotics teams. According to Indian media reports, Ibe was picked up by Tulinj Police in Nalasopara East during a midnight raid on his residence. Officers said he was caught with more than one kilogram of methylenedioxy-methamphetamine (MDMA), commonly known as “meth,” concealed in transparent bags. The illicit drugs, estimated at ₹2.08 crore (N343 million), were…

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 28-year-old man, Lawal Nasiru, for allegedly torturing and brutalising an 11-year-old Almajiri pupil in Darazo Local Government Area of the state. The victim, identified as Sani Abdullah from Nahuta in Katsina State, was reportedly tied with a thick rope and flogged with sticks and electric cables, leaving him with severe injuries on his hands and legs. Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, confirmed the incident in a statement on Tuesday. He said the case was reported on September 22, 2025, by Idris Mohammed, a 50-year-old staff member of the Social…

Former Super Eagles striker, Victor Ezeji, has been arrested by the Rivers State Police Command over allegations of fraud and threats to life linked to a multi-million-naira diesel deal. Ezeji, a veteran of Nigerian football and one-time forward for Enyimba and Sharks FC, was picked up in Port Harcourt on Monday, September 22, 2025, after weeks of surveillance by detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID). Police sources told PLATFORM TIMES that the ex-international and his wife, Mrs. Celestina Onyemaeche Ezeji, allegedly bought 60,000 litres of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) valued at ₦39.8 million from a businessman, identified as…

… Revenue Leaps From ₦711bn In 2023 To ₦3.64trn In 2025 … Govt Insists Loans Will Pay For Themselve The Federal Government has justified its continued resort to borrowing despite a 411 percent increase in national revenue in the last 16 months, insisting that loans are now dedicated solely to infrastructure and productive projects. Chairman of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Zacch Adedeji, stated this while briefing journalists at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Tuesday. According to him, Nigeria’s revenue rose sharply from ₦711 billion in May 2023 to ₦3.64 trillion as of September 2025, following sweeping tax reforms…

The Ogun State Government has filed multiple charges against two traditional rulers and other individuals for alleged involvement in land grabbing, illegal sales, and forcible entry into properties across the state. The Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Oluwasina Ogungbade (SAN), disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, stressing that the move underscores the state’s resolve to stamp out land racketeering, regardless of the status of those involved. One of the monarchs, Oba Fatai Matanmi, the Onijoko of Ijoko-Ota, is facing charges of forceful takeover and harassment in suit number HCT/84R/2025. Investigations revealed that the monarch had sold a parcel of…

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has dismissed as false a viral social media claim that police officers were instructed to remove pockets from their uniforms to curb extortion. The command described the claim as “entirely baseless” and urged Nigerians to disregard it. In a statement issued on Tuesday, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said no such directive was issued by the Inspector General of Police or the command. “The attention of the FCT Police Command has been drawn to a false claim circulating on social media, alleging that personnel have been directed to remove…