Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji The six states in Nigeria’s Southwest region shared a total of N299.2 billion from the Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) between January and March 2025, representing a sharp increase compared to the same period in 2024. Data obtained from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) revealed that all six states—Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Osun, and Ekiti—received higher allocations in Q1 2025, in line with the national upward trend in disbursements. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that nationwide, the 36 states shared N1.78 trillion in Q1 2025, up from N1.27 trillion in Q1 2024—a 40% increase year-on-year. The breakdown of the…

The Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has stirred a storm of controversy after publicly warning former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, not to step into the state again without first seeking his permission — or risk dire consequences. Governor Okpebholo issued the threat on Friday during a defection rally held in Uromi, where Marcus Onobun, a member of the House of Representatives and former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). In a video clip that has since gone viral, Okpebholo declared that Obi’s safety…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has declared that Nigeria is in a state of bondage, trapped by insecurity, economic turmoil, and tribalistic politics, and urgently needs a truly national leader to lead it out of crisis. Obasanjo made the bold assertion on Friday when he received the leadership of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) at his private residence in Abeokuta, Ogun State. “We are in bondage,” the ex-president stated, lamenting the worsening state of the nation. “Let us keep watching the situation, but more importantly, let us pray that God delivers us.” The former president, known for his vocal criticism…

A self-acclaimed gospel musician and eight other individuals have been convicted and sentenced to various jail terms by courts in Kwara State for their involvement in cyber-related crimes. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), through its Ilorin Zonal Directorate, secured the convictions at both the Federal High Court and the Kwara State High Court sitting in Ilorin. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that one of the convicts, Moses Sesan Otitoju, a 31-year-old gospel singer from Iyamoye in Ijumu Local Government Area of Kogi State, was handed a six-month jail term without an option of fine by Justice Abimbola Awogboro of the…

Former Chief of Staff to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, has revealed how powerful elements within the Presidency circumvented protocol to influence the former Nigerian leader by smuggling memos directly to him. Speaking on Channels Television’s Inside Sources on Friday, Gambari disclosed that despite Buhari’s directive that all official correspondences must pass through his office, some individuals in the “cabal” managed to exploit the president’s weaknesses to gain informal access. “They knew his weak moments, they knew when to smuggle [memos] because they understood him and interacted with him informally,” Gambari stated. Gambari, who served from May 2020 until…

…No Retreat, No Resolution: Ogun Labour Vows To Sustain Strike Daud Olatunji The face-off between the Ogun State Government and its workforce has taken a new turn as the State’s Organised Labour, on Friday, reaffirmed its decision to continue with the ongoing industrial action, rejecting the latest offer from Governor Dapo Abiodun’s administration. The decision followed a marathon seven-hour emergency meeting held by labour leaders on Friday, July 18, 2025, where they evaluated the outcome of their negotiation with the state government the previous day. In a communiqué issued after the meeting, which lasted from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.,…

The Ogun State Government has recruited 550 new officers into the Amotekun Corps as part of efforts to strengthen security across the state. Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by his deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, disclosed this on Thursday during the passing-out parade of the new recruits (Batch E) at the NYSC Orientation Camp in Sagamu. A statement jointly issued by information Officers from the office of the deputy governor, Idongesit Jonah and Temitayo Taylor, stated that the governor said the recruitment is a continuation of the administration’s commitment to protecting lives and property in the state, adding that 690 officers had…

The Registrar of the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), Ondo State, Mr. Ezekiel Imole Adeniran, has been assassinated by yet-to-be-identified assailants, throwing the university community into mourning. Adeniran, who assumed office as the institution’s third substantive Registrar on January 6, 2025, was found dead in his residence in Ondo town in the early hours of Thursday, July 17, 2025. A senior university official who confirmed the incident under anonymity said, “He was discovered lifeless in his home on Thursday morning. It’s shocking, and we are all still in disbelief. We hope the police will get to the bottom of this.”…

The Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Binta Adamu Bello, has issued a stern warning to Nigerian parents against leaving their children in the care of casual acquaintances, untrusted neighbours, or unknown service providers, stressing that such acts expose minors to trafficking and abduction. NAPTIP in a statement issued by its Press Officer, Vincent Adekoye disclosed that  the caution came on Thursday during the emotional reunion of a five-year-old girl, Rahama Ibrahim, with her family in Damaturu, Yobe State, months after she was abducted by a suspected child trafficker. Represented by the…

The Ogun State chapter of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) has condemned what it described as unwarranted criticisms of the Islamic burial rites conducted for the late Awujale and paramount ruler of Ijebuland, Oba (Dr.) Sikiru Kayode Adetona. In a statement issued on Friday and jointly signed by the State Chairman, Alhaji Tajudeen Jimoh Alao, and Secretary, Alhaji Olaleye Rasheed Damilare, MURIC said the objections raised by some traditionalists and religious groups were not only baseless but could incite unnecessary religious tension in the state. “The Islamic burial of the late Awujale was in full compliance with both legal and…