Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Tension resurfaced in Rivers State on Monday after the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Martin Amaewhule, berated Governor Siminalayi Fubara for what he described as the “shameful and embarrassing” collapse of public primary and secondary schools across the state. Amaewhule, who spoke during plenary in a video circulating on Facebook, said the decay in the sector had reached an alarming level, alleging that vandals had taken over school premises while pupils were left without teachers and basic infrastructure. “It’s a sad commentary that in an oil-rich state like Rivers, pupils are learning without teachers and…

Panic has gripped students of Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt, after gunmen suspected to be cultists stormed a private off-campus lodge in Emuoha Local Government Area and abducted five students during a midnight attack. The attack occurred around 2 am on Tuesday when the assailants shot repeatedly into the air, killed the hostel’s guard dog, and broke into the building, forcibly taking their victims to an unknown destination. Spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, confirmed the incident, describing it as a “cult-driven abduction.” According to her, “They were abducted by cultists. In the early hours…

Panic has gripped residents of Igbo Ofe Ora, a quiet agrarian settlement near Oke-Ode in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, after armed men invaded the community, abducting a housewife identified as Rukayat and shooting her brother-in-law, Abdulateef. The attackers reportedly stormed the village around 11 a.m. on Monday, firing sporadically before whisking the woman away. A relative of the victims told PLATFORM TIMES that the community had been thrown into fear since the invasion. “The woman kidnapped is my uncle’s wife. It happened yesterday around 11 in the morning,” the distraught family source said. “One of my elder…

The Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up (NFWP-SU) has deepened its statewide mobilisation in Ogun State, seeking the backing of traditional rulers and market women in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government to strengthen the impact of its economic empowerment drive. The initiative, which targets no fewer than 105,000 women, on Monday took its sensitisation campaign to Lusada International Market and major traditional institutions across the council area. Speaking during a courtesy visit to the palace of the Onigboko of Orile-Igboko, Igbesa, the Project Coordinator, Mrs. Bolanle Fadairo, said the programme was designed to build durable economic capacity for women through financial literacy, market…

Fresh tension is brewing between Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, and the Martin Amaewhule-led House of Assembly after the Speaker accused the governor of abandoning public primary and secondary schools, describing the decay across the system as “an embarrassing failure of leadership.” Amaewhule, who spoke during a House sitting in remarks now circulating online, warned that the legislature would no longer tolerate what he called “indolence and abandonment of responsibility” under the Fubara administration. In the viral footage, the Speaker lamented that many schools across the state had become dilapidated, vandalised and grossly understaffed. “It is a sad commentary that…

Tension rose in parts of Akwa Ibom on Tuesday after police operatives arrested a man, identified as David Effiong, for allegedly causing a public disturbance while dressed in full masquerade regalia, despite a statewide ban on such displays. Effiong was picked up after residents alerted security operatives that a masquerader was “constituting nuisance, chasing people and destroying property” in the community. His arrest comes amid renewed clampdown on masquerade activities following the state government’s prohibition order. Confirming the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Baba Azare, said the suspect acted in clear violation of the ban announced by Governor Umo…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Tuesday held a crucial closed-door meeting with Nigeria’s top security chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid rising nationwide security tensions and the sudden resignation of Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru. The high-level meeting, which began at about midday, came less than 24 hours after Badaru tendered his resignation and as violent attacks, kidnappings and communal clashes intensify across several states. A Presidential Villa source told PLATFORM TIMES that the President convened the session “to take swift and decisive briefing” from the nation’s security architecture following what insiders describe as “an increasingly fragile security climate.” The…

Tension escalated in Ibese, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, as scores of residents stormed the streets in a peaceful protest against what they called a “coordinated and politically protected” attempt to forcefully reassign their ancestral land to neighbouring Ilaro. Bearing placards with inscriptions such as “Stop False Territorial Claims,” “Ibese United Against Encroachment,” “Ilaro Should Respect Boundaries,” and “Frontier FM Cannot Rewrite History,” the protesters marched through major routes, insisting they would resist any attempt to “erase Ibese from the map.” Speaking during the protest, Fadairo Adedotun, one of the community’s leading voices, accused powerful actors of…

The Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations is set to break new ground as it hosts the maiden edition of its end-of-year celebration, “Owanbe Nite Season 1,” a cultural-themed convergence designed to blend professionalism with the state’s rich heritage. The event, scheduled for Thursday, December 4, 2025, at Event Towers, Kuto, Abeokuta, will parade the vibrancy of Adire fabrics, district-based cultural showcases, traditional drummers, dancers and a lineup of award presentations. In a statement on Monday, the Chairman of the Planning Committee, Mrs. Adijat Olaleye, said the Owanbe Nite was conceived not merely as a social…

The Ogun State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring a cleaner and safer environment for residents, following recent concerns over indiscriminate waste disposal and industrial pollution. Dr. Ola Oresanya, the State Commissioner for Environment, spoke on Monday during a live interview on Zents 90.9 FM’s Voice of the Patriots, stressing that his ministry is leaving no stone unturned in the fight against environmental hazards. He cited the recent closure of several battery recycling factories in Ogijo as an example of proactive measures taken by the government. “The factories were sealed by our ministry in collaboration with the National Environmental…