Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Iranian government has assured that Nigerians living in the country are safe despite escalating tensions in the Middle East triggered by the ongoing military standoff involving the United States, Israel and Iran. Iran’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Mahdavi Raja, gave the assurance on Thursday during a press conference in Abuja, stating that there had been no reports of harm to Nigerian nationals residing in major Iranian cities. Raja said Nigerians living in cities such as Tehran and Qom had remained safe since the outbreak of hostilities, stressing that the Iranian government had prioritised the safety of all foreign residents. “The…

The senator representing Bayelsa West, Seriake Dickson, has resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party and defected to the newly registered Nigeria Democratic Congress. Dickson, a former governor of Bayelsa State, announced his decision on Thursday during a media briefing in Abuja, citing what he described as “irreconcilable differences” within the PDP. The lawmaker said his new political platform, the Nigeria Democratic Congress, would provide a credible opposition capable of strengthening Nigeria’s democratic system. According to him, the party’s registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission marks the beginning of a new political alternative for Nigerians seeking a stronger opposition. He…

The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has summoned a former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, alongside other former and current officials of the national oil firm over alleged financial discrepancies amounting to N210tn. The committee chairman, Senator Ahmed Wadada, disclosed this during a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, saying the summons followed what lawmakers described as “unsatisfactory and unacceptable” responses from the oil company regarding its audited financial statements between 2017 and 2023. Wadada said the investigation, which began in May 2025, was triggered by concerns raised in reports from the…

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights has renewed its call for the establishment of state police across Nigeria, declaring that the current centralised policing structure has become overstretched and ineffective in tackling rising insecurity. In a statement jointly signed by its National President, Comrade Yinka Folarin, and General Secretary, Comrade Idris Afees Olayinka, the civil rights group described the initiative as a critical step towards addressing terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, insurgency and other violent crimes plaguing the country. The group threw its weight behind the newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, for inaugurating a high-powered committee to develop…

The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, has voiced opposition to the proposed Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill, arguing that existing Nigerian laws already provide adequate safeguards for fundamental rights. Fagbemi’s position was delivered through the Chief of State Counsel, Reuben Imarha, at a public hearing by the House of Representatives Committee on Human Rights in Abuja on Wednesday. The hearing examined two key legislations: the Human Rights Defenders Protection Bill, aimed at protecting civil society actors, journalists, lawyers, whistleblowers, faith leaders, and other citizens advocating for constitutional rights; and the bill seeking to repeal and…

Aishah  Waliyullah The newly appointed Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, has vowed that the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) will uphold strict neutrality in all electoral matters, warning that erring officers would face prosecution. Disu, the 23rd IGP, was sworn in by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chambers of the State House, Abuja, on Wednesday, shortly before the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting. He succeeds Kayode Egbetokun, who resigned last month, citing family reasons. At his inaugural meeting with top police strategists, Disu stressed that the credibility of the 2027 general elections and the stability of Nigeria’s democracy hinge…

The Senate of the Federal University Dutse has expelled 20 students and rusticated 15 others following their involvement in examination malpractices, the institution announced on Wednesday. A statement signed by the Director of Academic Affairs, Nora Dannatta, and issued by the university’s Director of Public Affairs, Abdullahi Hahaha-Bello, said the action was based on the recommendations of the Senate Committee on Examination Misconduct for the second semester of the 2024/2025 academic session. The statement added that the disciplinary measures also included the exoneration of two students and written warnings to three others. “The decision was in accordance with the categories…

An assistant pastor with the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Delta State, Pastor Ufuoma Johnson Akomeyoma,  has allegedly absconded with over ₦30 million belonging to clients of her investment outfit, Jehovah Nissi Global Services. The pastor, who operated a daily thrift (osusu) and investment scheme in the Okuokokor-Osubi axis, reportedly disappeared in November 2025 after informing associates that she was “going to the mountain for prayers.” Community sources now describe this as a pretext for her sudden exit. Residents said Akomeyoma, who resided near Freshville in Okuokokor and ran her operations around Osubi, had built a reputation as a…

A prominent Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Ìgbìnmó Májékóbájé Ilé-Yorùbá, has raised the alarm over what it described as a dangerous influx of Fulani extremists into the South-West region and parts of Kwara and Kogi States, warning that the security of Yoruba communities is under severe threat. In a statement signed by its Convener, Olusola Badero, and released through its Home Director, Princess Balogun, the group alleged that armed Fulani herdsmen fleeing northern Nigeria are relocating southward, occupying ancestral lands, and seizing control of forests and natural resources. “We have received intelligence that terrorist Fulani herdsmen leaving the North are migrating to…

Saturday, February 28, 2026, will be etched in memory as a landmark day for Aiyede Kingdom and neighboring communities in Ondo and Ekiti States. On that day, business leader and political figure, Engr. Michael Abayomi Adeyanju, was formally installed as the Otunba Mulero of the kingdom, in a ceremony marked by tradition, grandeur, and communal pride. The installation, presided over by the Attah of Aiyede Kingdom, Oba AbdulMumini Adebayo Orishagbemi, drew dignitaries, political leaders, business associates, and community elders from across the region. The event was described by attendees as one of the most spectacular in the kingdom’s 145-community history,…