Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji The Acting Controller-General of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), Mr. Sylvester Nwakuche, has blamed state governors for the worsening congestion in Nigerian prisons, citing their refusal to sign execution orders or commute death sentences to life imprisonment. Speaking during his screening before the Senate Committee on Interior, chaired by Senator Adams Oshiomhole, Nwakuche disclosed that the number of prisoners on death row has surged to 3,688, marking an increase of 98 inmates in the past six months. Nwakuche described the situation in correctional facilities as alarming, stressing the need for urgent action to expedite justice delivery and decongest…

Nigeria has recorded 29 new cases of Lassa fever and five more deaths in one week, bringing the total fatalities from the disease in 2025 to 100. The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) disclosed this in its latest situation report published on Wednesday, covering the period from February 24 to March 2. According to the report, the total number of confirmed cases this year stands at 535, spread across 13 states and 75 local government areas. The NCDC data revealed that Ondo, Bauchi, and Edo states continue to bear the brunt of the outbreak, accounting for 72…

A street sweeper working under the Lagos Waste Management Authority (LAWMA) has decried poor working conditions, unpaid wages, and excessive salary deductions, calling on the agency’s leadership to address their grievances. In a video circulating online, the worker, addressing LAWMA’s CEO, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, and other officials, lamented what she described as unfair treatment despite their critical role in keeping Lagos clean. She revealed that workers were promised a salary increase to N85,000 in August 2024, but they still receive only N30,000 to N40,000, with unexplained deductions. She also alleged that the N25,000 presidential wage allowance approved by President Bola…

Lagos’ economy has taken a giant leap, with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu announcing that the state’s GDP based on purchasing power parity (PPP) reached $259.75 billion in 2023. The figure was revealed during the launch of the Lagos Economic Development Update (LEDU) 2025 on Wednesday. “Lagos is not just growing; we are leading,” Sanwo-Olu declared. He added that the milestone underscores the strength of the economy, the resilience of the people, and Lagos’ status as a major hub for investment, trade, and opportunity – a position second only to Cairo in Africa. The governor’s announcement comes amid impressive economic growth, with…

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have eliminated an unspecified number of Boko Haram insurgents and rescued seven abducted travelers after repelling an ambush along the Buni Gari-Buni Yadi road in Borno State. According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication focused on the Lake Chad region, the terrorists attempted to kidnap passengers from a Volkswagen vehicle before security forces engaged them in a fierce gun battle. The attack targeted a convoy of top government officials and security personnel returning from Biu Local Government Area. However, Governor Babagana Zulum was not present, as he had traveled separately by helicopter. Sources said the…

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has arraigned Abubakar Aseku, an assistant superintendent of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), for allegedly earning salaries from two additional government agencies while still in active service with the NIS. Aseku was arraigned on Tuesday before Justice Binta Dogonyaro of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court in Apo on a nine-count charge bordering on abuse of office and corruption. According to the ICPC, Aseku fraudulently received N4.2 million from the Nasarawa State Ministry of Education, Science, and Technology in 2015 while working as a schoolteacher, despite being on the…

Daniel Bwala, a special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on media and policy, has boasted that the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, will soon defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 elections. Bwala made the statement during an interview on TVC on Wednesday, asserting that Obi’s departure from the LP is imminent. “Do you know we are emptying the Labour Party? Not because we are asking them to come. Valentine Ozigbo has joined us, Balami has joined us, even Peter Obi will join us,” Bwala said. He further claimed that…

Feyi Ogunbiyi Former Rivers State Governor and Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has downplayed fears of instability should the Rivers State House of Assembly move to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara, insisting that “nothing will happen” if such action is taken. Wike, speaking at a media parley in Abuja on Wednesday, March 12, 2025, said Fubara had allegedly committed impeachable offences, including withholding lawmakers’ salaries for months. He maintained that impeachment is a constitutional process and should not be seen as an anomaly. “If you have committed an offence to be impeached, what’s wrong? Is it a…

In February 2025, Nigeria’s crude oil production fell short of the OPEC quota, reflecting a downward trend in the country’s oil output. According to data analyzed by SaharaReporters, Nigeria produced 1.671 million barrels per day, inclusive of both blended and unblended condensates. This figure marks a decline from January 2025, when production stood at 1.737 million barrels per day. However, when considering only crude oil production excluding condensates, which aligns with OPEC quota calculations, Nigeria’s output was 1.465 million barrels per day in February 2025. This figure also represents a decrease from January’s production of 1.538 million barrels per day,…

The Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has ordered an immediate ban on the public parade of criminal suspects before the media, emphasizing the need to uphold fundamental human rights and align with global best policing practices. Egbetokun issued the directive on Tuesday through the Force Public Relations Officer, Assistant Commissioner of Police Olumuyiwa Adejobi, stating that the prohibition remains in force across all commands and formations of the Nigeria Police Force. According to the IGP, the decision is part of broader efforts to modernize policing in Nigeria and ensure that the dignity and rights of individuals—whether accused or not—are respected…