Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri,has reaffirmed that Nigeria holds sovereign rights over the OPL 245 oil block, asserting that all oil blocks are federal government property.  Speaking at a press briefing, Lokpobiri stressed  the government’s commitment to ensuring that Nigerians benefit from the country’s oil resources. Lokpobiri had recently  announced that Nigeria had resolved all issues related to OPL 245.  However, Mohammed Abacha, son of former Head of State Sani Abacha, demanded a retraction of Lokpobiri’s claims, arguing that the matter is still before the courts.  Mohammed Abacha asserts ownership of Malabu Oil & Gas…

Daud Olatunji  The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC), in collaboration with various law enforcement agencies, has initiated an investigation into the directors, managers, and staff of the defunct Heritage Bank.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that this  move follows the bank’s liquidation over a month ago. The Managing Director of NDIC, Bello Hassan, disclosed this at the 2024 capacity building workshop for law enforcement agencies held in Lagos over the weekend.  PLATFORM TIMES further reports that the  workshop focused on ‘Inter-Agency Collaboration in the Fight Against Financial Malpractices in Banks and Other Financial Institutions in Nigeria.’ Represented by NDIC’s Director of Corporate…

Daud Olatunji Lagos and Ogun States have emerged as the leading states  for internet usage in Nigeria, as the South West takes the forefront among other regions, according to the latest telecommunications data for Q1 2024. PLATFORM TIMES obtained the data from the National Bureau of Statistics which states that the  total number of active internet subscribers in Nigeria reached 164,368,292 in Q1 2024. This is  an increase from the 157,551,104 recorded in Q1 2023, marking a growth rate of 4.33%.  The NBS sated that on a quarter-on-quarter basis, the number of active internet subscribers grew by 0.32%. According…

The Special Intelligence Squad of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has apprehended three women in connection with pipeline vandalism, oil theft, and illegal petroleum dealings in Rivers State.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that the  arrests took place in Umuodo, Umuajuloke Community, Omuma Local Government Area, following an intelligence-led operation. Speaking  On Sunday, the SIS Commander, Deputy Commandant Apollo Dandaura, revealed that the operation was successful due to sustained intelligence efforts.  He said the  crime scene was identified as an illegal oil refinery where large quantities of illegally refined petroleum products, suspected to be Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), were…

A late-night fire on Saturday razed 10 shops and destroyed goods worth millions of naira at the Oba Lipede Market in Kuto, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. The blaze, which began around 10:15 pm, was reportedly triggered by a gas-powered generator explosion owned by a market businessman.  Ogun State Fire Service Director Fatai Adefala confirmed the incident, stating that firefighters were alerted immediately and rushed to the scene. “There was a fire incident at the market on Saturday night. We were contacted at about 22:15 and we quickly raced down to bring the situation under control.  “Ten shops were affected…

Africa’s richest man, Aliko Dangote, has attributed his decision not to own houses abroad to his commitment to industrialising Nigeria. Speaking at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos, Dangote emphasised that properties in London or the United States would detract from his mission to transform Nigeria into an industrial hub. “The reason I don’t have a London or American house is solely because I wanted to focus on industrialisation in Nigeria,” Dangote stated.  “I figured that if I had those houses, there would be one reason or the other for me to visit those places, thereby causing distraction for…

The Indigenous People of Biafra has cautioned South-East governors against allocating lands for grazing reserves to MACBAN, warning it could ignite unrest in the region. IPOB spokesman Emma Powerful emphasised the need for governors to prioritise the safety of the people. The statement reads: “The Noble family and movement of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) led by Mazi Nnamdi Okwu Kanu wish to caution the Eastern Governors to shun the recent demand from Miyetti Allah for the governors to allocate grazing reserves in their respective states to them. No governor should mortgage safety and security by allocating land for…

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) , Dr Olisa Agbakoba, has faulted the agitation for state creation in the South-East by some House of Representatives members, describing the proposal as a misplaced priority. Agbakoba, a former President of Nigeria Bar Association (NBA), expressed the view in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)  on Sunday in Lagos. NAN reports that the House of Representatives recently passed for second reading, a bill seeking the creation of Etiti State out of Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo states from the South-East geopolitical zone. The bill  was sponsored by Rep  Godwin…

An official of the Kaduna State Pilgrims Welfare Agency, Yaú Inuwa, has returned two phones worth N4 million to the owner, Muhajiadina Kano, in Jeddah. The agency’s public relations officer, Yunusa Abdullahi, announced this in a statement on Sunday in Kaduna. Mr Abdullahi said, “Malam Inuwa has done the state proud when he handed over two missing mobile phones worth N4 million to the owner at the King Abdul Azeez International Airport in Jeddah during the return flight to Nigeria. Mr Kano was quoted as expressing gratitude to Mr Inuwa for returning the phones to him. He said he forgot…

The Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, has saluted Aremo Olusegun Osoba ahead of his 85th birthday celebration tomorrow, Monday, July 15. Ambassador Adeyemo, a top-notch Nigerian real estate entrepreneur and veteran broadcast journalist hailed Osoba at 85, describing him as a journalism role model, politician and revered elder statesman who has continued to use his immeasurable wealth of experience to provide “an iconic, commendable,enduring leadership and mentorship roles in journalism, politics, tradition and other endeavours across generations and the globe.” The multiple awards winning real estate practitioner behind Pelican…