Author: Platform Times Newspaper

In Bamgbade, a small village located in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State, the Ajayi family of six has been forced to go into hiding after refusing to join the Egungun worshiping cult, a traditional Yoruba religious practice. Olusola Francis Ajayi and his wife, Olawumi Francisca Ajayi, along with their children; Oyinkansola Cherish, Ayokunle Desire, Iretomide Treasure, and Lucy Ajayi, have reportedly been subjected to intense pressure and threats from community members and local leaders since their refusal to partake in the revered religious ceremony. Egungun worship, deeply ingrained in the cultural fabric of the community, involves the…

Israel Adeleke To commemorate this year’s 2023 Global Handwashing Day, some Non-Governmental Organizations – the Patriots For Community Wellness And Values (TPCWV), The Standard Bearers (TSB), and APIN Public Health Initiatives – have conducted free HIV, Tuberculosis, and Blood Pressure (BP) tests for the Market Women of Gbangba in Ogun State. The purpose of the program is to educate the traders on the importance of hygiene and the reasons they should regularly conduct tests on their health to determine their health status. Speaking with PLATFORM TIMES at the program, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of TPCWV, Semiu Adesanya, explained…

Fawaz Adebisi A Correctional Service officer was killed on Wednesday night when gunmen attacked the Afokang Correctional Facility in Calabar, Cross River State. The spokesman for the State Command of the Correctional Service, Affanga Etim, confirmed the incident and said no inmate escaped or was killed during the attack. He also said more armed personnel have been deployed to the facility and everything is under control. The gunmen opened fire on the security team who also responded in like manner and in the process, an Assistant Superintendent of Correction, ASC, was killed. The attackers did not get close to the…

Fawaz Adebisi The Federal Government has announced that it will close down the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos for 24 hours this weekend to carry out repairs on some critical sections of the bridge.  The closure will start from Saturday, October 21, at midnight and end on Sunday, October 22, at midnight. The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, said in a statement that the closure was part of the plans to carry out comprehensive rehabilitation works on the bridge, which is one of the busiest in the country. She said the Ministry of Works was…

Fawaz Adebisi Several communities in Benue state have been thrown into chaos, as gunmen launched deadly attacks on Wednesday, killing many people and injuring others. The police confirmed that five people were killed in Ayilamo, a village in Logo Local Government of Benue. The police public relations officer, Sewuese Anene, said that some people were also wounded in the attack. Anene also reported another attack in Mbachohon community in Gwer-West Local Government, but did not give full details. However, according to unconfirmed reports, six people lost their lives in the Mbachohon attack. Anene described the attacks as unfortunate and said…

Fawaz Adebisi  A man who claimed to be a staff of River State University (RSU) and collected money from unsuspecting job seekers has been arrested by the police. The suspect, Philip Odereghi Oghoghonn, also allegedly took advantage of some female victims sexually when they could not pay him in cash. According to a statement issued by the RSU Registrar, Dr. Enyindah Enyindahn, on Wednesday, Oghoghonn is an imposter who has no affiliation with the university. The statement warned the public to be wary of impostors and fraudsters who promise to offer jobs at the university, which completed its recruitment last…

Fawaz Adebisi The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has detained a 56-year-old leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Roni local government area of Jigawa State, Saleh Idris, for allegedly raping and impregnating his 14-year-old housemaid. The victim’s brother reported the case to the NSCDC Roni LGA Division, after the suspect failed to honour an agreement reached at the Hisbah office to take responsibility for the pregnancy. Instead, the suspect was said to be forcing the family to terminate the pregnancy. According to the victim, the suspect drugged her with a drink when his wife was away,…

Fawaz Adebisi The Oyo State government has announced a 19.49 percent increase in its 2023 budget, from N310.432 billion to N352.382 billion, citing the need to adjust to the current economic realities. The government also approved the realignment of the 2023 supplementary budget, which will be presented to the Oyo State House of Assembly for approval. The commissioner for budget and economic planning, Prof. Musbau Babatunde, explained that the budget increment and realignment were necessitated by the twin economic policies of subsidy removal and the unification of the exchange rate, which have led to shifts in macro-economic fundamentals in the…

Daud Olatunji In a high-profile gathering in Paris, former Nigerian Finance Minister Kemi Adeosun and Nobel Prize-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz shared valuable insights and recommendations on tackling sovereign debt crises.  Organized by the prestigious panel, the event shed light on the complexities of sovereign debt restructuring and its impact on nations, particularly emphasizing the urgent need for international mechanisms to address the issue. Kemi Adeosun, who served as Nigeria’s Finance Minister from November 2015 to September 2018, spoke passionately about the protracted nature of debt restructuring in countries like Zambia, attributing the delay to inaction before defaults occur.  She highlighted…

Daud Olatunji  Human rights lawyer Morakinyo Ogele has emphasized that Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu is constitutionally empowered to govern Ondo State from any location within Nigeria, as provided for in the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.  Ogele made this assertion during a press conference held on Wednesday to address the ongoing debate surrounding the governor’s whereabouts. The lawyer argued that there should be no concerns about the governor’s location, especially since there has been no disruption in the governance of the state. Ogele clarified that the constitution does not mandate a governor to reside within the state they…