Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has linked the withdrawal of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, from the 2027 governorship race to a political peace arrangement aimed at stabilising the state. Wike said the development was not unexpected, insisting it formed part of understandings reached during reconciliation talks involving key political actors in Rivers State. The former Rivers governor spoke on Monday while briefing journalists after inspecting ongoing infrastructure projects in Abuja. Fubara had recently stepped down from the All Progressives Congress governorship primary, saying his decision followed consultations and was taken in the interest of peace,…

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested a chef, John Cosmos Govi, for allegedly masterminding the drugging of residents and the theft of luxury items valued at about ₦150 million in Abuja. The suspect was apprehended by the Force Intelligence Department–Intelligence Response Team following allegations bordering on criminal conspiracy, housebreaking, administering harmful substances, malicious damage, and theft. Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Anthony Okon Placid, disclosed in a statement on Monday that preliminary investigations revealed that Govi secured employment as a chef in the residence after allegedly establishing contact with two accomplices identified simply as Peter and Moses, who…

Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho,on Monday said he was still awaiting approval from the Federal Government to commence operations of his proposed security outfit, Iru Ekun Security Network, aimed at flushing out criminal elements from forests in the South-West. Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, disclosed this in a statement issued in Ibadan, Ibadan, noting that all required documentation for the registration of the outfit had been duly submitted to relevant authorities. He expressed optimism that approval would be granted soon, adding that the security initiative was designed to complement existing efforts to curb rising…

The Federal Government has declared Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28, 2026, as public holidays to mark this year’s Eid-el-Kabir celebration. The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, announced the declaration in a statement issued on Monday by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Magdalene Ajani. According to the statement, the public holidays underscore the government’s recognition of the spiritual importance of the festival to millions of Muslims in Nigeria and across the world. Tunji-Ojo congratulated Muslim faithful on the occasion, describing Eid-el-Kabir, also known as Eid-ul-Adha, as a period of deep spiritual reflection anchored on sacrifice, obedience to God,…

A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, has ordered the final forfeiture of a mining site and several vehicles allegedly used by a Chinese-led syndicate for illegal mineral extraction in Ogun State. The trial judge, Daniel Osiagor, gave the order following an application by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. The court directed that the forfeited assets be handed over to the Federal Government, pending the conclusion of criminal proceedings against suspects linked to the illicit operation. The assets include a mining site located behind a Baale’s Palace on Ileposo Street, Ode-Remo, a…

The Lagos State Government has intensified its crackdown on environmental violations, arresting no fewer than 931 persons for waste-related offences within one year of sustained enforcement operations across the state. The Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this on Sunday during the 2026 Ministerial Press Briefing held in Alausa, Ikeja, saying the state had significantly strengthened monitoring, enforcement and compliance activities to improve sanitation and environmental standards. According to him, enforcement teams carried out wide-ranging operations that led to the inspection of 2,251 sites, issuance of 1,711 contravention notices, and sealing of 239 premises found to have…

A former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Hazeem Gbolarumi, has emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo State ahead of the 2027 general elections, after a landslide victory in the party’s primary election held across the 33 local government areas of the state. Gbolarumi polled a total of 3,615 votes to defeat his sole challenger, Barrister Beulah Adeoye, who scored 22 votes in the exercise conducted on Sunday and supervised by party officials and security agencies. The Chairman of the PDP gubernatorial primary election in the state, Mr. Tolulope Awoniyi, announced the result on…

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a man identified as Qawiyu Oloyede for allegedly circulating a fabricated video of a bandit attack on social media, in what authorities say was an attempt to cause public panic and gain online attention. The suspect, a tailor who resides on Sokoto Road in Atan-Ota, was apprehended after the video, which falsely portrayed a bandit invasion, went viral across several social media platforms, triggering anxiety among residents. Police said preliminary investigations revealed that the footage was deliberately staged to mislead the public and create a false impression of insecurity in the state. In…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 63-year-old Chinese woman, Ting Hung Kiong, for allegedly attempting to smuggle 31 kilograms of synthetic cannabis into Nigeria through the Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The agency disclosed on Sunday that the suspect was apprehended on May 17, 2026, at the Terminal 2 Arrival Hall of the airport upon her arrival from Thailand via Dubai aboard an Emirates Airline flight. NDLEA operatives said the suspect, a Chinese national naturalised in Malaysia, was intercepted with two large suitcases containing “Canadian Loud,” a potent synthetic strain of cannabis weighing 31kg. Investigations revealed that she…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has warned that Nigeria faces a high risk of Ebola Virus Disease importation amid worsening outbreaks in parts of Central and East Africa, triggering an immediate scale-up of national preparedness measures. The agency, in a public health advisory issued on Sunday by its Director-General, Jide Idris, however, clarified that no case of Ebola had been recorded in the country. It attributed the elevated risk to ongoing transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, coupled with increased international travel, cross-border movements, and the possibility of delayed detection due to symptom…