Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has warned Nigerians not to be swayed by the promise of free petrol delivery by the Dangote Refinery, describing the offer as a “Greek gift” designed to weaken the union and monopolise the petroleum haulage sector. In a statement on Friday signed by its President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, the union alleged that the refinery’s move to commence direct and free supply of petrol to 11 states from September 15 was a ploy to edge out other employers of petroleum truck drivers. “Nigerians should not be deceived…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has uncovered and seized counterfeit malaria drugs valued at over ₦1.2 billion in Lagos. The agency disclosed that its operatives intercepted 277 cartons of unregistered Malamal Forte concealed in a warehouse in the Ilasa-Oshodi area of the state. According to NAFDAC, the drugs were illegally imported from Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China, disguised as spare parts and hidden in cartons labelled Diclofenac Potassium 50mg. “This seizure is part of NAFDAC’s sustained nationwide operation to protect public health and ensure only safe, quality medicines are available to Nigerians,” said…

The British Council, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Arts, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy (FMACTCE), has launched the 2025 edition of Creative Economy Week Nigeria, a multi-city celebration designed to spotlight innovation, skills, and collaboration in the creative sector. Themed “Building Futures through Creativity,” the programme was officially unveiled on Thursday, September 11, in Abuja and will run across five Nigerian cities—Abuja, Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Enugu—before concluding with a major showcase in London on October 11. Now in its second edition after a pilot held in 2023, the initiative has grown into one of the…

… Loot traced to foreign accounts of corrupt officials … ₦7.3bn seized from failed local council project The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has announced the repatriation of $700 million in stolen funds linked to corrupt Nigerian officials and stashed in foreign accounts. The commission also disclosed that ₦7.3 billion was recovered from failed and abandoned projects in several local government areas across the North-East. ICPC Chairman, Dr. Musa Adamu Aliyu (SAN), made this known on Thursday during a one-day media dialogue with journalists from the North-East and North-West in Kano. Aliyu explained that the dialogue…

A United States District Court in California has convicted a former General Manager of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Paulinus Iheanacho Okoronkwo, over a $2.1 million bribery and money laundering scheme tied to oil drilling rights in Nigeria. Okoronkwo, 58, who holds dual Nigerian and American citizenship and also practises law in Los Angeles, was found guilty after a four-day trial in August. The jury convicted him on three counts of unlawful monetary transactions, one count of tax evasion, and one count of obstruction of justice. Prosecutors told the court that in October 2015, Addax Petroleum, a Swiss…

The Enugu State Police Command on Thursday announced a major breakthrough in its fight against crime, with the arrest of 5,176 suspected criminals and the recovery of N10 million cash, 21 exotic vehicles, and dangerous weapons. Commissioner of Police, Mamam Giwa, disclosed this during a press conference at the Command Headquarters in Enugu, noting that the feat was achieved between March 11 and September 11, 2025, through intelligence-led operations, tactical surveillance, and raids on criminal hideouts. According to him, the suspects include kidnappers, armed robbers, cultists, and murderers who had terrorised residents across the state. “We have remained relentless in…

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has narrated how he was abducted and robbed by a criminal gang posing as taxi operators during his recent trip to Romania for the Sibiu International Theatre Festival. Soyinka, who travelled to Bucharest at the invitation of Ambassador Simona-Mirela Miculescu, President of the General Assembly of UNESCO, said he arrived at the Romanian capital around 12:10 a.m. and was to spend the night in the city before proceeding to Sibiu. Speaking in an interview in Lagos, the 90-year-old playwright said the ordeal began when he missed the party sent to pick him up at the…

…Braided hair, tinted hair, artificial nails, and bushy beards outlawed …Suits made compulsory for senior staff from Grade Level 13 and above Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, has introduced a new dress code for civil servants in the state, banning braided or tinted hair, artificial nails, long eyelashes, bushy beards, and certain traditional caps in government offices. The directive, contained in a circular issued by the governor’s New Media Office on Thursday, made complete suits compulsory for male and female workers on Grade Level 13 and above, while those on lower levels are expected to appear in corporate attire. According…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has intercepted counterfeit malaria drugs valued at over N1.2 billion in Lagos. The Director of Investigation and Enforcement, Martins Iluyomade, disclosed on Thursday that the fake products, branded Malamal Fort, were concealed in a container that was declared to contain spare parts. The discovery was made at a warehouse in the Ilasa-Oshodi area of the state. Iluyomade explained that the drugs were packaged in cartons labelled as enteric-coated diclofenac potassium 50mg but, upon inspection, were found to contain counterfeit anti-malaria medicines allegedly manufactured by Shanxi Tianyuan Pharmaceuticals Group in China.…

The Federal Government has announced that secondary schools without properly certified teachers will lose their accreditation to serve as examination centres for public exams, including the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), from 2027. The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, disclosed this in a directive issued to the Registrar of the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria (TRCN) on Thursday. He explained that the move was part of government’s renewed drive to strengthen professionalism in the teaching profession. According to the policy, only schools with teachers duly registered and licensed by TRCN will be…