Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Nigeria Police Force has arrested and extradited a Chinese national, Xu Qing, over his alleged involvement in a $245 million Ponzi-style investment fraud. The police said the suspect was apprehended in Ogun State and subsequently repatriated to China to face prosecution. Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the operation was carried out by operatives of the International Criminal Police Organisation National Central Bureau in Abuja, following a formal request from Chinese authorities. According to the statement, Xu had been declared wanted in Beijing over allegations bordering on the illegal…

The Senate on Thursday rescinded its controversial amendment to the Standing Orders on the election of presiding officers, a move that effectively restores broader participation rights for all senators and reopens the contest for key leadership positions. The reversal followed a motion moved by the Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, who warned that the earlier changes could trigger constitutional inconsistencies and heighten tensions within the red chamber. The amendment, introduced earlier in the week, had restricted participation in leadership elections to only senators who had taken the Oath of Office and Allegiance as stipulated in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution.…

The lawmaker representing Kaduna North Federal Constituency, Bello El-Rufai, has dumped the All Progressives Congress for the African Democratic Congress. His defection was formally announced on Thursday during plenary by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Abbas Tajudeen. Tajudeen also disclosed that two lawmakers from Peoples Democratic Party in Kaduna State, Reps. Umar Ajilo and Suleiman Richifa — defected to the ADC alongside El-Rufai. In a related development, a Kano lawmaker, Kamilu Ado, switched allegiance from the ADC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress. Similarly, the member representing AMAC/Bwari Federal Constituency of the Federal Capital Territory, Joshua Obika, resigned from…

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said he will consult widely before deciding whether to contest the 2027 presidential election, describing the race for Nigeria’s top office as a serious undertaking that requires careful reflection. Jonathan stated this on Thursday in Abuja while receiving youth groups who urged him to return to the presidential race. Responding to the appeal, the former president cautioned against trivialising the process of seeking the nation’s highest office. “The presidential race is not a computer game. I have heard you, and I will consult widely,” he said. He commended the visiting youths for their interest in…

Ogun State Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, on Wednesday joined other top government officials and women leaders in Abuja to galvanise support for President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda through a nationwide women’s mobilisation drive ahead of the 2027 general elections. Salako-Oyedele spoke at the “Power of 10 Million Movement” rally held at the Moshood Abiola National Stadium, where stakeholders unveiled a platform aimed at connecting and empowering 10 million Nigerian women politically, economically and socially. Addressing participants, the deputy governor said although women have continued to contribute significantly across sectors, their impact has been limited by weak coordination and insufficient…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has affirmed Hon. Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye as the consensus candidate for the Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency ahead of the next electoral cycle, in a development party stakeholders described as the outcome of extensive consultations and internal negotiations. Adeleye’s emergence was reportedly reached through a process anchored on dialogue, reconciliation, and consensus-building among party leaders, stakeholders, and apex political figures within the constituency. Describing the development as a collective responsibility rather than a personal victory, Adeleye said the consensus reflected the party’s commitment to unity, fairness, and internal democracy. She expressed appreciation to the Ogun State Governor,…

…Says millions of girls still face education gaps, harmful norms, poor access to information Daud Olatunji The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has intensified calls for stronger and sustained platforms to amplify the voices of adolescent girls in Nigeria, warning that millions remain constrained by entrenched social barriers, limited opportunities, and inadequate access to information. UNICEF’s Adolescent Development Specialist, Ngozi Izuora-Songu, made the appeal on Tuesday in Osogbo, Osun State, during a “Yes! Girl” watch session organised for adolescent schoolgirls and boys. The event featured the screening of selected episodes of the Yes! Girl podcast in a cinema-style setting, drawing…

There was a tense moment on Wednesday in the Senate as the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and Senator Adams Oshiomhole engaged in a heated confrontation over the adoption of the Votes and Proceedings of Tuesday’s plenary, disrupting the smooth flow of legislative business. The session, which had commenced routinely with prayers and routine announcements, turned dramatic when Akpabio called for the adoption of the official record of proceedings in line with Senate rules. However, Oshiomhole, representing Edo North, immediately objected, insisting that the document being presented did not accurately reflect what transpired on the floor during the previous sitting. “We…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has escalated the ongoing leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, declaring that any property or financial institution linked to the faction led by Kabiru Turaki will face immediate sanctions. Wike issued the warning on Wednesday during his monthly media briefing in Abuja, insisting that the Turaki-led group lacks legal standing and cannot operate as the legitimate leadership of the PDP. The minister’s remarks come amid deepening turmoil in the opposition party following the appointment of Turaki as chairman of a 13-member interim National Working Committee reportedly backed by Oyo State…

No fewer than 34 persons have died while 254 others have been infected following a meningitis outbreak that has spread across nine local government areas of Sokoto State. The State Commissioner for Health, Faruk Abubakar-Wurno, disclosed this on Wednesday, warning that the outbreak had affected several communities and triggered an emergency public health response by the government. Abubakar-Wurno said a significant number of the deaths occurred in homes before victims could access medical care, attributing the situation to delayed treatment as some residents reportedly linked the illness to spiritual causes and other misconceptions. According to him, isolation centres have been…