Author: Platform Times Newspaper

By Ismael Adebare Ayinla. “You can be everything! You can be the infinite number of things that people are…”- KESHA As if playing a script of his degree and doctoral courses, Economics; Dr. Idris journey through undergraduate to the pinnacle of his educational degree was all about WANTS that were usually out of reach, NEEDS that were never affordable, RESOURCES that were scarce and never available; and COSTS that were usually huge enough to drain his pocket and relegate him to perpetual bankruptcy! These were the hurdles he needed to cross and the wilderness he had to navigate to reach…

Nigerian music legend and iconic artist, Ms. Onyeka Onwenu, has passed away at the age of 72.  The celebrated songstress, known for her hit song “One Love Keeps Us Together,” reportedly collapsed and died at Reddington Hospital in Lagos after performing at the 80th birthday celebration of Mrs. Stella Okoli, the founder of Emzor Pharmaceuticals. The tragic incident occurred shortly after Onwenu delivered a vibrant performance at the event.  Witnesses described the moment as surreal, noting that Onwenu had just finished her set and was returning to her seat when she suddenly slumped.  “I have never seen anything like this…

The Coalition of Ado-Odo/Igbesa Indigenous Youths has called on Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun to address what they describe as a longstanding imbalance in the representation within the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government.  The youth group alleges that the Ota axis has disproportionately dominated the leadership of the local government at the expense of the Ado-Odo/Igbesa constituency. In a statement signed by the group’s Coordinator, Comrade Temitope Ayobami Taiwo, the youths highlighted the lack of equitable rotation of the chairmanship position between the two areas that comprise the local government.  According to Taiwo, since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999, the…

Tension remains high in the Ogbeozoma community in Okpanam, Oshimili North Local Government Area of Delta State after a violent attack by a notorious criminal gang resulted in the death of a policeman and the destruction of property worth billions of naira.  The incident, which occurred on July 22, 2024, has left the community in fear and calling for urgent intervention from Governor Sheriff Oborevwori. In a petition dated July 27, 2024, and signed by their counsel, Ifeanyi Ejiofor, the residents detailed the harrowing experience of the attack.  The gang, reportedly arriving in about 15 Hilux vehicles, was armed with…

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, has disclosed that the military may be called in if the nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests escalate  beyond control.  Egbetokun said this during a Zoom meeting attended by prominent human rights lawyers, including Femi Falana (SAN) and Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), representatives from the Nigerian Bar Association, civil society organizations, and the Take-It-Back Movement.  The gist of the  meeting, held on Tuesday afternoon, was obtaining he’d by PLATFORM TIMES. Egbetokun emphasized that the decision to involve the military would only be made if the protests, scheduled for August, pose a significant threat to public safety.…

Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, has clarified that Nigerian traditional rulers are not opposed to the upcoming nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests.  Speaking on TV programme  on Tuesday, Ogunwusi emphasized that the right to protest against issues such as hunger, misgovernance, and economic hardship is a fundamental right of all Nigerians.  He noted that even President Bola Tinubu has acknowledged this right. “We traditional rulers have never said that people shouldn’t go to the streets to demonstrate; it is their right,” Ogunwusi stated.  He added that he, alongside the Sultan as co-chair of the National Traditional Rulers Council, recently met…

Over 100 hoodlums  have assaulted a bus loaded with palliatives intended for journalists, resulting in three injuries.  The incident occurred as the vehicle, belonging to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Cross River State Council, was en route to the NUJ Secretariat in Calabar. The palliatives, meant for journalists as part of a distribution phase, were collected from a government warehouse on Barracks Road.  This distribution was facilitated by the Director of the Cross River State Emergency Management Agency (CR-SEMA), Rev. James Anam. Upon receiving the information, journalists swiftly moved to transport the food items. The attack happened  when the…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has summoned Malam Jalal Arabi, the Chairman of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON), to its headquarters in Jabi, Abuja.  This summons comes as part of an ongoing investigation into the disbursement of N90 billion allocated for the 2024 Hajj pilgrimage. Arabi is expected to meet with EFCC officials at 10 AM today to provide a detailed account of how the substantial sum was utilized.  The EFCC is probing into the distribution of thousands of dollars intended for Nigerian pilgrims and is particularly concerned about claims of financial mismanagement and alleged mistreatment…

The Nasarawa State Police command has apprehended three individuals suspected of stealing 96 bags of 50-kilogram rice from a businessman in the Nassarawa Eggon Local Government Area.  PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred during the transportation of the goods from Nasarawa State to Abia State. The Commissioner of Police, Umar Nadada, disclosed the arrest during a briefing at the command’s headquarters, where he paraded a total of 31 suspects arrested for various crimes.  Nadada narrated that the suspects were part of a larger group of approximately 15 armed men who intercepted the rice-laden truck after it developed a mechanical…

The Borno State Government has said that no fewer than  6,900 suspected  Boko Haram fighters would be made  to face transitional justice. This announcement was made by the State Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Zuwaira Gambo, during a recent event in Maiduguri. The event, a best practice dissemination and learning programme organised by the Allamin Foundation for Peace and Development, highlighted the state’s ongoing efforts to manage the aftermath of the Boko Haram insurgency.  According to Gambo, since the mass surrender initiative began in 2021, approximately 200,000 Boko Haram terrorists and their families have laid down their arms…