Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has announced the dismissal of three personnel, including a Controller of Corrections, following a thorough review of misconduct cases. This was  disclosed in a statement by NCoS spokesperson Abubakar Umar on Thursday.  PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the  Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire, and Immigration Services Board conducted the review, addressing a range of offences such as gross negligence of duty, absence without leave, trafficking in illicit items, general inefficiency, and falsification of results among its personnel. “The Nigerian Correctional Service, in a bid to maintain a high standard of discipline and professionalism, has reviewed…

The Kaduna State Police Command has announced the arrest of a notorious spiritual leader, a 25-year-old female gunrunner, and several other suspects involved in various crimes across the state.  The Commissioner of Police in Kaduna State, Ali Dabigi, revealed that the operation led to the apprehension of Mallam Ali Bello, a 47-year-old marabout. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that Bello is known for preparing charms for a deadly bandit kingpin named Boderi and other bandits operating within the North-West Zone. His arrest occurred while he was in the process of preparing a charm for a bandit, Usman Ibrahim, at his shrine located…

The League of Imams and Alfas in Ogun State has condemned an alleged attack on Alfa Sulaiman Abdul Azeez and his family by Pastor Busari Stephen and his associates in Iseyin, Oyo State. The association in a press release signed by the President-General of the association, Shaykh Sikirullahi Babalola, described the incident as a “targeted aggression and violence against Alfa Sulaiman and possibly the Muslim community in Iseyin.”  Shaykh Babalola  expressed shock and denounced the attack unequivocally. The alleged assault, which reportedly took place during the Ileya Festival on Sunday, June 16, 2024, was said to be orchestrated by Pastor…

Daud Olatunji  The family of Fiyinfolu Akanro has condemned the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Abeokuta for what it  describe as gross negligence that led to the  death of its daughter, Ireti Oluwadara Akanro.  The 40-year-old woman allegedly died on Friday, May 24, 2024, shortly after being administered a contrast dye for a CT scan. According to family sources, Iretiogo Oluwadara Akanro had visited FMC on Friday, May 17, 2024, seeking treatment for a persistent cough.  The tragic sequence of events reportedly began with the absence of both the consultant doctor and the senior registrar, leaving a junior doctor to…

The lawyer representing former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, has applied to withdraw from the high-profile corruption case against his client.  Bello, who faces a 19-count charge for allegedly laundering money, breaching trust, and misappropriating approximately N80.2 billion in public funds, failed to appear for his scheduled arraignment, leading to a dramatic court session at the Federal High Court in Abuja. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), represented by lead counsel Kemi Pinhero (SAN), expressed frustration over the repeated absence of Bello, accusing his legal team of violating professional conduct by failing to produce their client.  Pinhero urged the…

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has raised the alarm that certain private aircraft operating in Nigeria are being exploited for money laundering, drug trafficking, and other illegal activities.  This revelation came during his inauguration of a Ministerial Taskforce Committee designed to curb illegal chartered operations within the country. Speaking at the Ministry of Aviation in Abuja on Thursday, Keyamo disclosed that the misuse of these private aircraft has not only resulted in significant financial losses amounting to billions of dollars but has also posed severe security threats.  Although the minister refrained from naming specific airlines,…

The Chairman of the Senate Committee on Privatization and Commercialization, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, has made an appeal to Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, to resolve the ongoing political turmoil in the state.  This call for peace was made during the conclusion of the committee’s two-day working visit to Rivers State, where federal projects were inspected. Senator Kalu emphasised the necessity for both leaders to put aside their differences for the greater good of the people of Rivers State.  He highlighted the disruptive impact of the frequent protests in the state, which have become a…

 Disquiet is brewing among junior officers of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) as they protest the recent mandate requiring the new service uniform for participation in the upcoming promotion exams. The mandate, seen as a prerequisite for taking the exams scheduled from Monday, July 1, 2024, to Saturday, July 6, 2024, has caused unrest among the ranks. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the  core of the grievance lies in the NCoS’s failure to provide the new uniforms free of charge to junior officers contrary to their senior colleagues who received their uniforms at no cost.  This discrepancy has sparked accusations of…

The Niger State Government, under Governor Umaru Mohammed Bago, has allocated over N16 million for the planting of ornamental trees at Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University (IBBU) in Lapai.  This decision comes at a time when the university is grappling with severe infrastructural decay, inadequate hostel accommodations, and insufficient lecture theatres among other pressing challenges. The specific allocation of sixteen million, thirty-two thousand eight hundred and twelve naira fifty kobo (N16,032,812.50) is categorised under “schools’ infrastructure construction and rehabilitation” in the state’s 2024 budget.  This allocation has sparked debate among stakeholders who argue that the funds could be better utilized to…

Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ola Olukoyede, has ordered the arrest of two officers allegedly involved in the manhandling of a female staff member at Regional Hotel, Ojo, Lagos. The incident came to light through a video that went viral online, showing EFCC officials, dressed in plain clothes, forcefully entering one of the hotel rooms.  The footage, captured by Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), revealed a female employee trying to open the door from inside when the men barged in.  The video further showed one of the officers slapping the lady before ordering her out of the…