Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned that escalating insecurity across the country poses a major threat to the conduct of free, fair and credible elections ahead of the 2027 general polls. Amupitan raised the concern on Wednesday in Abuja during a strategic meeting with the Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu, as part of early consultations on security preparations for the 2027 elections. The INEC chairman cautioned that persistent violence, electoral malpractice and widening security gaps could erode public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process if urgent and coordinated action is not taken. He…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the interim forfeiture of nine high-value properties allegedly linked to former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in a move tied to ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over suspected illicit asset acquisition. Justice Obiora Egwuatu, who delivered the ruling on Wednesday, granted the order following an ex parte application filed by the anti-graft agency, which told the court that preliminary investigations indicated the properties were reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities. In the ruling, the court directed that the assets be temporarily forfeited…

A Gombe State High Court has convicted and sentenced a magistrate, Mohammad Kumo, to two years and six months’ imprisonment for bribery, following his prosecution by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Justice H.H. Kereng, who delivered the judgment on Wednesday, also gave the convict an option of a N250,000 fine and ordered him to pay N500,000 as compensation to the EFCC for the cost of investigation and prosecution. Kumo was arraigned on December 3, 2025, on a three-count charge bordering on corruption. At the initial stage of the trial, he pleaded not guilty and challenged the jurisdiction of the…

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, has alleged that Nigeria is losing an estimated N20tn annually to revenue leakages, blaming what he described as systemic failures in the management of public funds under the administration of President Bola Tinubu. Agbakoba made the claim in a policy paper released on Wednesday by Olisa Agbakoba Legal, where he accused the Federal Government of failing to comply with constitutional provisions governing the remittance of revenues into the Federation Account. According to the senior lawyer, funds that should ordinarily accrue to the Federation Account are either withheld or diverted before remittance, in breach…

Activist and co-convener of the Bring Back Our Girls movement, Aisha Yesufu, has resigned her membership of the African Democratic Congress and defected to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, declaring her intention to contest the Federal Capital Territory senatorial seat in the 2027 general elections. Yesufu announced her defection in a statement on Wednesday, describing the move as part of an ongoing political realignment ahead of the next electoral cycle. She said her decision was informed by what she termed a “deeper understanding” of Nigeria’s political trajectory, adding that the coming days would be critical in shaping the country’s future. The…

The Nigerian military has concluded investigations into no fewer than 1,450 terrorism-related cases at the Joint Investigation Centre, Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri, Borno State, with over 500 suspects already forwarded for prosecution. The Commander of the facility, Brigadier-General Yusuf Audu, disclosed this on Wednesday during an operational briefing on the centre’s activities and its role in the country’s counter-insurgency campaign in the North-East. Audu explained that the centre serves as a centralised hub for the interrogation and screening of individuals arrested in connection with insurgency operations, particularly those linked to Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province. According to…

The political temperature in Ogun State rose on Wednesday as the Deputy Governor, Noimot Salako-Oyedele, formally signified interest in the Ogun West Senatorial seat by obtaining the All Progressives Congress nomination and expression of interest forms. Her move comes on the heels of the emergence of Senator Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the consensus governorship candidate of the APC, a development that has effectively opened up the Ogun West senatorial contest. Salako-Oyedele’s entry into the race signals what observers describe as a strategic realignment within the ruling party, as stakeholders move swiftly to consolidate gains and maintain internal…

An aggrieved employee, James Oketa, has demanded N22.3 million in compensation from his former employer, Super Engineering Company Limited, over what he described as the unlawful termination of his appointment. Oketa, who worked with the company located within the Ikorodu Industrial Estate in Lagos, was allegedly dismissed on December 5, 2024, after about 30 years of service. The company was said to have cited his involvement in union activities as the reason for his disengagement. However, in a letter dated February 5, 2026, addressed to the firm’s Managing Director, Oketa’s lawyers, Zimra Attorneys (Legal Practitioners & Associates), described the dismissal…

Electricity consumers across Nigeria paid a total of N196.68bn for power in February 2026 despite ongoing complaints over poor and unstable electricity supply, latest data from the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) has revealed. The figure represents a 3.9 per cent drop compared to the N204.75bn collected by electricity distribution companies (DisCos) in January, indicating a decline in monthly revenue performance within the sector. According to NERC’s February report on the commercial performance of DisCos, the utilities achieved a collection efficiency of 81.17 per cent. This was after billing customers N242.29bn for electricity consumed during the period. However, the report…

The Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, on Tuesday called on the Federal Government to revoke the operating licences of MTN Nigeria and DStv in response to renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians in South Africa. Raising the matter during plenary, Oshiomhole advocated a shift from diplomatic protests to what he described as firm economic retaliation, insisting that Nigeria must adopt a policy of reciprocity in its foreign relations. The former Edo State governor argued that continued violence against Nigerians abroad required decisive action beyond expressions of sympathy. “I don’t want this Senate to be shedding tears or merely sympathising with…