Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Anambra State Police Command has launched a probe into a shocking case in Igboukwu, Aguata Local Government Area, where a man identified as Chigbo, popularly called Agudo, was allegedly chained and locked away by his father for five years. A disturbing video, which surfaced online at the weekend, showed the moment community youths discovered and freed the young man from a makeshift zinc hut where he had been held in chains since July 2021. In the footage, Chigbo recounted how he was bound by his hands and legs and kept in harsh conditions without understanding why. “I have been…

Tension has enveloped Ndanaku community in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State as residents flee their homes following relentless bandit attacks and the abduction of three villagers. The once-thriving settlement now lies in ruins, with shops, homes, and farmlands deserted after weeks of coordinated raids that have left villagers living in fear. According to a distress video shared by Nupekotv, the kidnappers are demanding a staggering ₦100 million ransom for the release of their captives, while residents say their livelihoods have been wiped out by continuous attacks. In a petition to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, community leaders lamented that Ndanaku…

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Enugu unit, has vowed to enforce strict fuel pump integrity across filling stations under its jurisdiction, warning that it will no longer tolerate cheating and other sharp practices in fuel dispensing. The chairman of IPMAN in Enugu, Chinedu Anyaso, disclosed this on Sunday after the association’s 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM), where members resolved to set up a task force to monitor compliance. The Enugu unit covers marketers in Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi, parts of Abia, Imo, Kogi, and Cross River States. Anyaso said the task force, which will begin operations in September,…

A shocking incident has sparked outrage after an Ebonyi indigene, Michael Eje, was brutally assaulted and paraded by youths in Nkpor, Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State, for allegedly killing a snake regarded as sacred in the community. Eje, a native of Onueke in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State, said he killed the reptile in self-defence while working at a construction site where it had lunged at him from beneath a pile of old blocks. The development provoked an uproar among locals who accused him of desecrating their tradition. Viral footage showed him being beaten,…

At least six persons have lost their lives while three others remain missing following a fresh boat mishap at Faji community in Sabon Birni Local Government Area of Sokoto State. The National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) confirmed the incident, which occurred on Thursday, August 22, along the Sokoto Rima River. Speaking on Sunday, NIWA Area Manager in Sokoto, Bala Bello, disclosed that 19 passengers were rescued alive after the canoe capsized. Bello blamed the tragedy on negligence, overloading, and violation of safety rules by operators. “A combined team of NIWA, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), the State Emergency Management…

Hon. Alfred Emberga has been sworn in as the new Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly following the sudden resignation of his predecessor, Aondona Dajoh. Emberga officially took the oath of office on Sunday during a plenary session held at the Assembly complex in Makurdi. His emergence came just hours after Dajoh stepped down earlier in the day. Although details of Dajoh’s resignation remain sketchy as of press time, lawmakers wasted no time in electing Emberga to lead the 10th Assembly. His swearing-in was conducted amid applause from members, signaling a fresh chapter in the legislature’s leadership. The…

The Speaker of the Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Aondona Dajoh, has resigned from his position, barely a year after assuming office. Dajoh’s resignation was conveyed in a letter he personally signed and dated Sunday, August 24, 2025. The letter, which was sighted by PLATFORM TIMES, was addressed to members of the Assembly. “I write to resign my position as the Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, effective today, August 24, 2025. This is done in good faith and in the best interest of the state,” the letter partly read. The outgoing Speaker expressed gratitude to his colleagues for…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has given President Bola Tinubu a seven-day ultimatum to block what it described as the “unlawful and arbitrary” salary increase for political and public office holders recently proposed by the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC). SERAP, in a letter dated August 23, 2025, and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged Tinubu to immediately direct RMAFC to suspend the planned pay hike for the President, Vice President, governors, their deputies, and federal and state lawmakers. The group insisted that approving a pay rise for politicians at a time when over…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has condemned the spate of killings and kidnappings in Katsina and Zamfara states, accusing President Bola Tinubu of neglecting urgent security crises while embarking on frequent foreign trips. The opposition party’s reaction followed the massacre of over 30 worshippers at a mosque in Malumfashi Local Government Area of Katsina, and recent reports that more than 140 lives have been lost in both states within two months. In a statement on Sunday signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the worsening insecurity in the North-West as evidence of a “collapsed national security…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested a 50-year-old widow, Mrs. Ifeoma Henrietta Ezewuike, for allegedly attempting to traffic 1.3 kilogrammes of cocaine disguised as a fake pregnancy in Lagos. The suspect, a mother of one and proprietress of Golden Star Creation, a fashion outfit located along Ago Palace Way, Okota, was apprehended on Friday at a bus terminal in Jibowu, Yaba, while preparing to move the illicit substance to customers in Abuja. NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that a subsequent raid on her residence led to the recovery of 200 grams of…