Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Security agencies intensify operations as communities demand lasting protection More than 160 worshippers abducted by bandits in Kurmin Wali village, Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have regained their freedom after weeks in captivity, PLATFORM TIMES has learnt. Sources with knowledge of the development confirmed on Thursday that the victims, who were kidnapped during a religious gathering on January 18, were released and were being evacuated to the Kaduna State Government House for medical checks, profiling and reunion with their families. Although details surrounding their release remained sketchy as of press time, security sources said efforts were ongoing to…

The crisis rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) worsened on Thursday after a faction loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, vowed to take control of the party’s national headquarters next week, following what it described as official recognition by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The Wike-backed group made the declaration shortly after INEC admitted its representatives to the commission’s first quarterly stakeholders’ meeting with political parties in 2026, a move widely interpreted within the PDP as conferring legitimacy on the faction amid the party’s protracted leadership dispute. Speaking to journalists after the meeting, the…

The Imo State Police Command has detained a man, Kelechi Prince Okeke, over the death of his wife, Olumma Chizoba Lucy Akataobi, following an alleged domestic altercation in Owerri. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that Okeke, a native of Ngor-Okpala Local Government Area, was arrested and is currently being interrogated at the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department after his wife reportedly died on Monday, February 2. Family sources said the incident was triggered by a disagreement over ₦35,000 paid by a customer into Okeke’s bank account for goods sold by his wife at Relief Market, Owerri. According to the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned a former Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University Dutsinma (FUDMA), Katsina State, Professor Armayau Hamisu Bichi, over an alleged N19.7 million bribery and contract kickback scheme. Bichi was on Thursday docked before Justice Musa Danladi Abubakar of the Katsina State High Court alongside two co-defendants, Lawal Tukur Mani and Aliyu Lawal Jari, on a five-count charge bordering on bribery and abuse of office. The Kano Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency accused the former vice-chancellor of using the two co-defendants as conduits to receive illicit payments from contractors in exchange for the…

An aide to former Kano State Governor and leader of the Kwankwasiyya Movement, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has dismissed reports suggesting that the former presidential candidate travelled abroad for medical treatment, insisting the trip was purely personal. Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, the aide, Kurugu, said Kwankwaso was in high spirits and actively engaged in political activities in Kano barely hours before leaving the country. “Yes, it is true that Engr. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has travelled out of the country, but it is a personal trip and not medical tourism,” Kurugu said. “We were together with him throughout yesterday and…

A chieftain of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Alhaji Buba Galadima, has faulted key provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, warning that recent amendments could weaken Nigeria’s democracy, undermine electoral integrity and pave the way for manipulation ahead of the 2027 general elections. Galadima, who spoke on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, criticised the reduction of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) statutory timeline for election preparations, describing it as unrealistic and counterproductive. “Even if you calculate backwards, INEC could not meet the 360 days timeline, not to talk of a shorter one. You…

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has condemned the National Assembly’s rejection of Clause 60(3) of the Electoral Act amendment bill, describing the move as a dangerous setback to Nigeria’s democratic development. The clause, which sought to make real-time electronic transmission of polling unit results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV) mandatory, was voted down by lawmakers on Wednesday. In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its National President, Comrade Yinka Folarin, and National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Adewunmi N. Adesina, the rights group said the decision amounted to a “deliberate…

…Tinubu Calls For Geo-Referenced Road Failure Database …FRSC Records 10,446 Crashes Nationwide In 2025 …FG Pushes Preventive Maintenance Strategy Daud Olatunji President Bola Tinubu has ordered a comprehensive audit of Nigeria’s federal roads and the creation of a robust, geo-referenced national database to drive predictive maintenance, improve safety outcomes and end the culture of emergency repairs, against the backdrop of 10,446 road crashes and 5,289 deaths recorded nationwide in 2025. The President, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, at the opening of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA) 2026 Road Summit in…

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has entered a new phase of full-scale production, raising expectations of improved fuel supply, reduced import dependence and stabilised pump prices across Nigeria. Speaking at a press conference on the state of the $20bn Lekki-based facility on Wednesday, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, David Bird, said the refinery was steadily ramping up output across key product lines, including petrol, diesel, aviation fuel and LPG, describing the development as a major boost to the nation’s energy security. Bird said the refinery, with a nameplate capacity of 650,000 barrels per day, was designed not only to meet domestic demand…

Nigeria’s active mobile telephone subscriptions climbed to 179.64 million at the end of December 2025, underscoring sustained growth in connectivity and a sharp rise in data consumption, figures released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have shown. The latest industry statistics indicated that active lines increased from 177.43 million in November to 179.64 million in December, pushing national teledensity to 82.87 per cent — a key benchmark that measures the number of active telephone connections per 100 people and reflects the depth of telecom penetration across the country. The data further showed that MTN Nigeria maintained its market dominance with…