Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has raised alarms over widespread over-voting in the recently concluded Edo State Governorship Election held on September 21, 2024.  In a detailed report released by the coalition, it was revealed that over-voting was recorded in more than 370 polling units across the state’s 18 Local Government Areas (LGAs), sparking concerns about the credibility of the electoral process. The Situation Room, a coalition of prominent civil society organisations including the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD-West Africa), Yiaga Africa, Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), Nigerian Women Trust Fund (NWTF), and TAF Africa, presented their findings through…

An Osun State Chief Magistrates’ Court in Osogbo, the state capital, has sentenced a 35-year-old aluminum worker, Sunday Ejoh, to six months imprisonment for stealing three tubers of yam. The court, presided over by Magistrate M. Olatunji, found Ejoh guilty of the theft, a crime he claimed was motivated by hunger and hardship. The case, which was prosecuted by Mr. Jacob Akintunde, revealed that on September 22, 2024, Ejoh unlawfully took the tubers of yam, valued at approximately N3,000, from Oluwole Durojaye, a resident of the area.  According to the prosecutor, Ejoh not only stole the yams but was also…

Commercial drivers operating in the Mowe-Ibafo-Arepo axis of the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State took to the streets on Monday, protesting an alleged hike in daily levies imposed on them by transport union members, commonly referred to as Agberos. The protesting drivers, predominantly minibus operators known locally as Korope drivers, decried the sudden increase in union levies from N4,000 to N6,000, an additional burden they described as unbearable given the current economic conditions.  According to them, the already high cost of fuel and vehicle spare parts, following the federal government’s removal of fuel subsidies, had worsened their…

The Management of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), has issued a heartfelt plea to students, urging them to remain vigilant and prioritise their safety in the wake of the tragic murder of Miss Christianah Idowu, a student of the university. Christianah was killed in Lagos while returning from her internship, a loss that has deeply saddened the university community. Addressing FUNAAB Bulletin, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Prof. Olukayode Akinyemi, expressed condolences to Christianah’s family and the entire student body. In a statement sent to PLATFORM TIMES by acting Head, Public Relations unit,  Olasunkanmi Olajide, the deputy VC  described the…

Nemesis has caught up with a 21-year-old scavenger, Dauda Saidu, as he was arrested for reportedly destroying several graves and removing iron rods. The  Public Relations Officer of the Bauchi Police Command, SP Ahmed Muhammed Wakil, confirmed the incident. Wakil said the suspect was nabbed after operating at a Christian cemetery in Yelwan Kagadama area of Bauchi. He said “on September 20, 2024, the Bauchi State Police Command arrest Dauda Saidu, a 21-year-old scavenger resident of Yelwa, for trespassing, vandalism, and theft. “The detainee unlawfully entered a cemetery in the Yelwan Kagadama area of Bauchi, causing damage…

Vigilantes have arrested a suspected bandits’ informant who disguised as a madman in Kagarko town in Kagarko LGA of Kaduna State. A resident, Ibrahim Sayyadi, said the incident happened on Thursday at about 2pm when vigilantes trailed and arrested the suspect while he was making a phone call. Traveling across Quang Binh to stunning cinematic locations He said the suspect, who wore tattered clothes, always walked on the streets in the Kagarko metropolis, which made some residents suspect him. He added that, “The vigilantes later handed the suspect to soldiers.” The spokesman of the Kaduna…

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA) has raised concerns about rising water levels along the River Benue Basin, warning of potential flooding of neighbouring states soon. The warning comes amid a recent wave of widespread floods which have claimed lives, destroyed homes and public facilities, submerged farmlands and entire communities in at least 13 states. Data released by the NIHSA to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday revealed a steady increase in water levels, approaching the flood threshold. The warning by the agency revealed “alarming” water levels at its guage stations along the River Benue Basin…

..Tinubu, Buhari Congratulate Okpebholo  …PDP Rejects Results Over Alleged Irregularities ‘I Weep For Nigeria Over Edo Poll,’ Adamawa Gov Fintiri Says, Alleges  Daud Olatunji & Enoch Oyedibu  Monday Okpebholo, candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been declared the winner of the Edo state governorship election. Farouk Adamu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, announced the results in Benin City, the Edo state capital, on Sunday. “I, Prof. Faruq Adamu Kuta, I certify that I’m the returning officer for the Edo state governorship election held on September 21, 2024,” he said. “That…

Emmanuel Oludare The Action Democratic Party (ADP) Chairmanship candidate for Abeokuta South Local Government, and a popular broadcaster, Olalekan Alex Shoyinka, has called on residents to actively participate in the forthcoming Local Government elections slated for November 16, 2024.  In a statement, Shoyinka addressed concerns over potential electoral malpractices, urging citizens to rise above the fear of rigging and intimidation that often plagues local elections. Shoyinka expressed gratitude for the support he has received since declaring his candidacy, stating that Abeokuta South is ready for a positive shift in leadership.  However, he acknowledged the widespread belief that local government…

Daud Olatunji The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA) has reportedly  petitioned the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, over allegations of fraudulent misrepresentation involving a private rice farm in the state.  The anti-corruption and human rights group accused the governor of falsely parading a privately owned rice farm as a World Bank-assisted Ogun State Government project. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the petition, signed by HEDA’s Chairman, Olanrewaju Suraju, was prompted by a report from Peoples Gazette on September 12, 2024, which detailed the governor’s alleged claims over a rice farm belonging to…