Author: Platform Times Newspaper

No fewer than three bank mergers are expected to materialise in the coming weeks as Nigerian lenders race to meet the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) new minimum capital requirements ahead of the March 31, 2026 recapitalisation deadline. This projection was contained in the 2026 Banking Sector Prospects in Nigeria report released by DataPro, a credit rating and financial analytics firm, which warned that mounting regulatory pressure could accelerate consolidation among smaller lenders. The report noted that by the end of 2025, most tier-1 banks had already surpassed the new capital threshold set by the apex bank, while several others…

Sixty-two former employees of the Central Bank of Nigeria have asked the National Industrial Court of Nigeria sitting in Abuja to dismiss an application by the apex bank seeking to change the procedure of their suit challenging the termination of their appointments. The ex-workers, who were disengaged between February and May 2024, opposed a motion filed by the CBN requesting the court to convert their originating summons to a writ of summons, a move they described as premature and legally untenable. The application, argued by the CBN’s counsel, Mr Wilson Inam, SAN, urged Justice Osatohanmwen Obaseki-Osaghae to order a procedural…

A fresh controversy has erupted in Oyo State following a public encounter between the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, and the Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, at an interfaith event in Ibadan, reigniting age-long tensions over status and supremacy among Yoruba traditional institutions. The incident occurred on Monday at the 2026 Interfaith Gathering held at the Grand Space, near the Oyo State House of Assembly, and has since sparked intense debate after a video of the moment went viral on social media. In the footage, Oba Ladoja is seen approaching his seat beside the Alaafin, who had arrived…

A judge of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Apo, Abuja, Justice Jude Onwuegbuzie, on Monday sternly warned an Abuja-based lawyer, Victor Giwa, standing trial over alleged forgery and impersonation, against seeking any private meeting with him outside open court. The warning followed a tense courtroom exchange that stalled proceedings in the ongoing trial of Giwa and his co-defendant, Ibitade Bukola, over allegations of forging official documents and impersonating a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Awa Kalu, with the aim of misleading the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation into withdrawing an earlier criminal charge against Giwa. The case, slated…

No fewer than 12 persons, including a councillor and a traditional ruler, have been killed in a fresh outbreak of communal violence in Donga Local Government Area of Taraba State, deepening fears over the resurgence of deadly farmer-herder conflicts in the region. Among the victims were the councillor representing Akete Ward, Hon. Vaatyough Waakaa, and the village head of Mbaiyoon, who were killed when armed assailants invaded Tiv farming communities in the area. The attack occurred late on Tuesday night, January 6, 2026, at Tor-Damsa village in Akete ward, where residents said heavily armed militias, suspected to be Fulani herders,…

The Edo State Police Command has arrested a woman, Martina Dachung, for allegedly selling her newborn baby boy for the sum of N1.4 million in Uromi, Edo Central Senatorial District. The police said two other suspects, including a nurse, were also arrested in connection with the alleged illegal baby trafficking deal. The Command’s spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement made available to journalists on Saturday, stating that the arrest followed a report by a resident, Ebhomien Matthew Asibor. According to the police, Asibor alerted the command after he became aware of a suspected trafficking arrangement involving a…

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has cautioned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) against sidelining former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, in the build-up to the 2027 general election, warning that the party could slide into political obscurity if it fails to present him as its presidential candidate. Fayose, who spoke during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, described Obi as the single most important political asset within the ADC, arguing that no other figure in the party currently possesses the capacity to attract widespread national support. According to the former governor, Obi’s political appeal goes beyond party structures,…

Two members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have appealed to their colleagues to suspend the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his deputy, Ngozi Odu, warning that the political crisis could further destabilise the state. The lawmakers, Sylvanus Nwankwo and Peter Abbey, made the appeal on Monday during a press conference in Port Harcourt, urging the Assembly to adopt dialogue and reconciliation rather than push through with the impeachment process. Nwankwo, who represents Omuma State Constituency and serves as the Minority Leader of the House, called on legislators to “temper justice with mercy” and explore alternative…

No fewer than 52 anti-kidnapping protesters, including students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, have been remanded in custody by a Federal High Court in Edo State following allegations of malicious damage to property and armed robbery. The protesters were arrested after a demonstration against rising cases of kidnapping in Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, reportedly turned violent on Saturday, leading to the looting and vandalisation of shops and other properties in the town. Delivering his ruling on Monday, the presiding judge, Justice William Aziegbemi, held that the Federal High Court lacked jurisdiction to entertain the matter. He consequently directed…

A trader at the Sapon Shopping Complex, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Mrs Oluwakemi Abioye, has tendered a public apology to the Iyalaje of Sapon Market, Chief Mrs Florence Mojisola Oni-Quadri, over a protest that followed a court appearance connected to a November 2025 incident. In a letter dated January 12, 2026, addressed to Chief Oni-Quadri, who is also the Ibuso Aje of Egba Land, Abioye who on behalf of Sapon traders, admitted wrongdoing and expressed regret over the conduct of market women who carried placards in protest on her behalf. The apology followed an incident on November 23, 2025, during which…