Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has expressed deep concern over the entrenched desperation of Nigerian politicians, warning that their “do-or-die” attitude continues to undermine the credibility of elections and slow down the country’s democratic development. Jega, who currently serves as Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Livestock Reforms, spoke on Monday while delivering a keynote address at the joint graduation ceremony of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) and the University of Benin (UNIBEN) in Abuja. The former INEC boss lamented that despite over two decades of uninterrupted democracy,…

Governor Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau State has disclosed that he is under intense pressure from political figures to dump the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). Mutfwang, however, vowed not to bow to the pressure, insisting that only God and the people who elected him have the authority to determine his political future. Speaking during an event at the Banquet Hall of the Government House in Jos over the weekend, the governor dismissed rumours of an imminent defection, describing them as false and politically motivated. “It is true that they have been putting pressure on…

Africa’s richest man and Chairman of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has reaffirmed his company’s commitment to ensuring uninterrupted fuel supply across Nigeria as global oil prices continue to rise, assuring that there will be no scarcity or pump price increase during the upcoming festive season. Speaking during an update on the progress of the 650,000-barrels-per-day (bpd) Dangote Refinery, Dangote disclosed that the facility’s ongoing expansion will create thousands of new jobs, strengthen Nigeria’s industrial base, and attract both local and foreign investors. “This expansion will create additional jobs, support thousands of SMEs, and deepen our industrial base. Our goal has…

Five years after the #EndSARS protest that shook Nigeria and led to the establishment of judicial panels across the country, Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has yet to implement the recommendations of the state’s panel on police brutality and extrajudicial killings — leaving victims stranded and hopeless. The PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the nine-member Justice Solomon Olugbemi-led Judicial Panel of Investigation, inaugurated in October 2020 by Governor Abiodun, had submitted its report in July 2021 after months of public hearings and testimonies from victims of torture, unlawful detention, and killings allegedly perpetrated by operatives of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad…

The Joint Committee of the Senate and House of Representatives on Constitution Review has approved the creation of six new states in Nigeria — a development that could raise the number of states in the federation from 36 to 42 if ratified by the National Assembly. The decision was reached at the end of a two-day retreat in Lagos, co-chaired by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I. Jibrin, and the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu. According to reports, the joint committee reviewed 69 bills, including 55 state creation requests, two boundary…

A 30-year-old labourer, identified as Karimu Jimoh Friday, has been remanded in prison custody by an Akure Magistrate’s Court for allegedly raping a married woman returning from a church fellowship in the Isarun community, Igbara-Oke area of Ondo State. The incident, which occurred about six months ago, left the victim traumatized until she recently spotted her attacker, leading to his arrest after months on the run. Narrating her ordeal before the court, the victim said she was attacked around 6:30 p.m. while taking a lonely path home after an evening service. “I was returning from church that evening, carrying something…

The Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, has cautioned against labelling Nigeria’s insecurity as a genocide against Christians, insisting that Muslims are equally victims of the country’s worsening violence. Speaking in Rome during the presentation of the 2025 World Report on Religious Freedom by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Parolin stressed that the killings across Nigeria stem largely from social and economic conflicts, particularly land disputes between farmers and herders in the North-Central region. “It is not a religious conflict,” Parolin declared. “Much of the violence stems from social causes such as land disputes between herders and…

 The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested socialite and club owner Mike Eze-Nwalie Nwogu, popularly known as Pretty Mike, alongside former Big Brother Naija housemate Tuoyo Ideh and over 100 others during a midnight raid on a “drug party” at a Lagos nightclub. The operation, which took place at Proxy Night Club, followed weeks of surveillance and intelligence reports suggesting that the venue was being used for large-scale consumption and distribution of illicit substances. According to NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi, operatives infiltrated the event on Saturday night and executed the raid at 3 a.m. on Sunday, October 26,…

…Victim Accused Of Killing Husband, Detained With Corpse In Ambulance …Uzodimma Condemns Act, Calls It Barbaric, Cruel ..Women Affairs Ministry Arrests Suspects, Launches Investigation Daud Olatunji A shocking incident in Awo-Omamma, Oru East Local Government Area of Imo State, has triggered public outrage after a widow was reportedly forced by her in-laws to drink water used in bathing her late husband’s corpse as part of a barbaric widowhood ritual. The victim, Mrs. Chika Ndubuisi, was accused of killing her husband, Mr. Odinakachi Ndubuisi, and was allegedly detained inside an ambulance containing his corpse. Her in-laws reportedly attempted to compel her…

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a Chinese national, identified as Joe Gu, in connection with the recent improvised explosive device (IED) explosion that rocked a CCTV equipment shop on Kodesho Street, Ikeja, last week. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that detectives from the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Yaba, apprehended the suspect at about 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 25, at his residence located at No. A11, Bila Vista, Banana Island, Ikoyi. A top security source confirmed the arrest, saying it followed a discreet investigation that linked the Chinese businessman to the explosion incident. “The complainant had raised strong suspicion…