Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has commenced an investigation into Okorie Sunday, who was apprehended at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, for allegedly smuggling $578,000 into the country without proper declaration. Sunday was arrested by officials of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) upon arrival from Johannesburg, South Africa, on Wednesday. He had initially declared only $279,000 at the currency declaration desk but was later found with an additional $299,000 concealed in separate packages, prompting his detention. Authorities also discovered €100 and a counterfeit $250 note in his possession. Confirming the development on Saturday in Abuja, EFCC spokesperson…

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has condemned the suspension of elected officials in Rivers State following President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a state of emergency, warning that the move tarnishes Nigeria’s democratic image. Speaking in Abuja on Saturday at the Haske Satumari Foundation Colloquium, Jonathan expressed disappointment over the political crisis in the oil-rich state and the decision to suspend Governor Siminalayi Fubara, his deputy, Ngozi Odu, and all elected members of the Rivers State House of Assembly for six months. “These actions by key actors in the executive and legislative arms of government paint the country in a negative light,”…

Samuel Anyanwu has resumed office as the National Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) following a Supreme Court ruling that affirmed his position, nullifying an earlier judgment that had sacked him. Speaking at the PDP national secretariat on Friday, Anyanwu expressed gratitude to party leaders and supporters, singling out Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, for standing by him during the legal battle. “I want to thank my leaders across the country and PDP faithful who stood by the truth,” he said. “This victory is not for me alone; it is for all PDP faithful.” He also…

The Ogun State Police Command has commenced an investigation into the mysterious death of a hotel supervisor, Mr. Adedokun Oluyemi, whose lifeless body was discovered in his apartment at Solution One Hotel in the Ago Oko area of Abeokuta, the state capital. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that Oluyemi, who was a supervisor at the hotel, was found unresponsive in his room around 6 a.m. on Saturday. Sources revealed that a bar assistant at the hotel, identified as Taiyelolu, became concerned after multiple failed attempts to reach him. When she found his door locked and received no response, she reportedly alerted the…

The Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board has granted temporary work permits to hundreds of expatriates, even as concerns mount over the displacement of local workers in the oil and gas sector. Findings from the board’s stakeholders’ magazine, obtained on Saturday in Abuja, revealed that a total of 549 expatriates received temporary work permits in the first three quarters of 2024. However, 43 applications were rejected during the same period. Breakdown of the data showed that 311 permits were approved in the first quarter, with 32 rejections, while 72 were granted in the second quarter, with three denied. In the…

Uchechi Kanu, wife of the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, has said that the apologies tendered on behalf of her husband in court are yielding positive results. Kanu’s lead counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), had on Friday at the Federal High Court, Abuja, apologised to Justice Binta Nyako, the prosecution team, and the defendant’s legal representatives, acknowledging past outbursts by the IPOB leader. In a statement shared with journalists, Uchechi Kanu commended Agabi’s approach, describing him as “a towering figure” whose intervention was necessary to ease tensions in the courtroom and facilitate dialogue. She explained…

The Federal Government has reiterated that tuberculosis (TB) is not caused by spiritual forces but by bacteria, emphasizing that it is both preventable and curable. Deputy Director of the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme, Dr. Urhioke Ochuko, made this clarification on Saturday during a road show and awareness walk in Abuja to commemorate the upcoming World TB Day on March 24. Themed “Yes! We can end TB: Commit, invest, and deliver,” the event aimed at raising awareness about the disease and mobilizing resources for its eradication. Ochuko stressed the need for early detection and treatment, urging individuals experiencing symptoms…

Morenikeji Adebayo Pharmacists across Nigeria have called for stricter penalties, including life imprisonment, for individuals involved in the peddling of counterfeit and illicit drugs, citing the severe health risks posed to the public. Their demand comes in response to a surge in the circulation of substandard and falsified medicines, which the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) recently cracked down on. Within six weeks, the agency evacuated over 100 truckloads of banned and fake drugs from major markets in Lagos, Onitsha, and Aba. NAFDAC’s Director-General, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, warned that if such drugs remained in circulation,…

Former Kano State Governor, Ibrahim Shekarau, has dismissed the chances of a coalition led by opposition figures, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, to defeat President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections. Shekarau argued that the emerging alliance is merely a gathering of individuals with political ambitions rather than a structured political movement capable of challenging the APC’s dominance. His statement comes two days after Atiku, El-Rufai, and Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, announced the formation of a Coalition of Opposition Political Parties to unseat…

Balkis Adeniji The Awori Welfare Association of Nigeria (AWAN) has declared its intention to pursue the merger of Awori communities in Lagos and Ogun states, with the long-term goal of creating a new state. This was disclosed in a statement by AWAN’s Director of Publicity and Communications, Prince Niyi Jafojo, who emphasized that this initiative is not the first attempt at unifying the Aworis in both states. Jafojo clarified that despite speculations, there is no division among the Awori people regarding the push for a merger, stressing that the movement remains united in its pursuit. “This proactive action even preceded…