Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Toyyibat Qasom Four suspected illegal miners have been killed after an excavation pit collapsed at Tangur community in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. The victims reportedly died when the sand excavation site, located along a river line in the community, caved in on Tuesday afternoon. According to a report by counter-insurgency publication, Zagazola Makama, the incident occurred at about 2:20pm after troops responded to a distress report concerning the collapse involving suspected illegal miners. The troops reportedly visited the site and confirmed the deaths of four persons. One of the victims was identified as Mallam Fahad Aliyu, while…

Ayomide Awe The founder of INRI Evangelical Spiritual Church, Primate Elijah Ayodele, has predicted that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu may not complete a second term in office if re-elected in the 2027 presidential election. Ayodele claimed that circumstances, including what he described as concerns about the President’s health, could prevent Tinubu from completing another four-year tenure and potentially pave the way for Vice-President Kashim Shettima to assume the presidency. The cleric made the prediction in a video posted on Tuesday, warning that the situation could be similar to the circumstances surrounding the administration of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua,…

Grace Adeleke The Independent National Electoral Commission has commenced another phase of its logistical preparations for the 2027 General Election in Ondo State with the delivery of non-sensitive election materials. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Mutiu Agboke, took delivery of the materials on Wednesday as the commission stepped up preparations for the nationwide elections. The materials, according to the commission, are part of its ongoing arrangements to ensure that essential electoral items are available ahead of the polls. The items are expected to be distributed to the commission’s offices across the 18 Local Government Areas of Ondo…

Former Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari, has said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has presented better plans for Nigeria than any president he has encountered in nearly four decades of active participation in the country’s politics. Masari made the assertion while speaking at a public function in Kaduna, where he urged Nigerians to look beyond criticisms of the Tinubu administration and assess its plans and policies. The former governor, who also served as Speaker of the House of Representatives between 2003 and 2007, said his assessment was informed by his long experience in Nigerian politics. “I can confidently say I…

The Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has warned politicians and public office holders against using allegedly stolen or corruptly obtained public funds to sponsor Muslims and Christians on pilgrimages to Mecca and Jerusalem. The Sultan said religious obligations could not legitimise proceeds of corruption, stressing that money obtained through dishonest means would not become acceptable merely because it was spent on religious activities. Abubakar spoke on Wednesday in Abuja at the opening of a stakeholders’ meeting organised by the Nigeria Inter-Religious Council, NIREC, with the theme, “Shared Sacred Flourishing in Nigeria.” The Sultan said religious leaders had…

The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) and the Spinal Cord Injuries Association of Nigeria (SCIAN) have renewed calls on the Ogun State Government to fully operationalise the state’s Disability Law, nearly nine years after it was assented to by the then Governor, Senator Ibikunle Amosun. The groups made the demand on Wednesday during a joint press briefing held at the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat, Abeokuta, under the theme, “From Law to Action: Implement the Ogun State Disability Law.” The advocacy was supported by the Disability Rights Fund. Speaking on behalf of the organisations, the National…

The Code of Conduct Bureau has disclosed that it has investigated and verified the assets declared by more than 20 ministers and 30 permanent secretaries as part of an intensified drive to detect unexplained wealth and strengthen accountability among public officers. The CCB Chairman, Abdullahi Bello, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at an anti-corruption and asset-tracing stakeholders’ workshop organised by the Human and Environmental Development Agenda in collaboration with the Platform to Protect Whistleblowers in Africa. Bello said the bureau had moved beyond its traditional role of receiving asset declaration forms, explaining that it now examines declarations, investigates suspected…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has declared the former Chairman of the defunct Pension Reform Task Team, Abdulrasheed Abdullahi Maina, wanted over an alleged case of receiving stolen properties. The EFCC made the declaration in a fresh notice issued on Wednesday, identifying Maina, 61, as an indigene of Biu, Borno State, and publishing his photograph. The commission urged anyone with information capable of assisting in locating him to contact its offices or the nearest police station. The latest development comes against the backdrop of Maina’s previous conviction for money laundering and a separate criminal trial in which he is…

…Beneficiaries saved ₦2.6bn, accessed over ₦4bn loans in seven months — Abiodun Zainab Abioye The Ogun State Government, in partnership with the Federal Government and the World Bank, has commenced the disbursement of a ₦6bn Community Investment Fund to 3,855 Women Affinity Groups across four local government areas under the Nigeria for Women Programme Scale-Up. The intervention, according to the state government, is designed to expand women-led businesses, increase household incomes and strengthen the economic resilience of women and their families. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony in Ijebu-Ode, Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by the immediate past Commissioner for Women Affairs…

The Osho Igbein Mekun Ruling House of Egba Alake has celebrated the 160th anniversary of Ayikondu Day with a colourful display of Egba cultural heritage, traditional symbols and historical remembrance in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The two-day programme, organised through the family of Balogun Osho Ayikondu, was held at the Balogun Osho Ayikondu Family Compound, beside Mrs Petrol Station, Grammar School, Isale Igbein, Abeokuta. The annual Ogun Ajobo Ilu Igbein Egba Land Festival was held on Monday, September 21, 2026, while the 160th Ayikondu Day followed on Tuesday, September 22. The celebrations brought together members of the Osho Ayikondu family, traditional…