Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Jonathan, Abacha’s family, others honoured as Bayelsa celebrates three decades of statehoo Daud Olatunji Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has conferred a posthumous award on the late military Head of State, General Sani Abacha, crediting him with the creation of the state and what he described as the liberation of the Ijaw people from political marginalisation. Diri honoured Abacha on Thursday night during a dinner and awards ceremony organised to commemorate the 30th anniversary of Bayelsa State. The event, themed “Celebrating Legacies,” was held at the Chief Diepreye Alamieyeseigha Memorial Banquet Hall, Government House, Yenagoa. Bayelsa was created on October…

Daud Olatunji The Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Jarret Tenebe, has invoked “AK-47 fire” against individuals he accused of attempting to frustrate the party’s plan to deliver 2.5 million votes to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election. Tenebe made the controversial remark during one of the rallies held as Governor Monday Okpebholo and other APC leaders toured the 18 local government areas of the state to mobilise support for Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general election. The statement was contained in a viral video reviewed by news outlets, in which the APC chairman spoke about…

Toyyibat Qasim African Democratic Congress presidential running mate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said his 23 years of experience across the legislative and executive arms of government give him extensive exposure to governance at both state and federal levels. Amaechi, a former governor of Rivers State, made the claim on Friday while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he also defended his record against allegations of corruption. According to him, his experience in government includes eight years as Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, eight years as governor and nearly eight years as a minister. Amaechi argued that his…

Ayomide Awe A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has declared that President Bola Tinubu is in good health and capable of continuing in office beyond 2027. Showunmi, who is also the Convener of The Alternative Movement, made the assertion on Thursday during a grassroots engagement in Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State, where he canvassed support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid. His comments came amid renewed public debate over the President’s health, following his absence from the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, where Vice President Kashim Shettima represented Nigeria. Showunmi dismissed suggestions that Tinubu’s absence from…

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has declared that nobody should be forced to embrace Islam, stressing that Muslims must respect the rights and freedoms of adherents of other faiths. The Sultan made the declaration on Thursday while speaking at the NSCIA General Assembly held at the National Mosque in Abuja. He said Islam should be embraced voluntarily, stressing that there was no compulsion in religion. “We do not intend to force anybody to join Islam,” the Sultan said. He added, “But we have seen how many people…

Ayomide  Awe A Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos State, has denied bail to businessman Afolabi Michael Kazeem, popularly known as KC Luxury, and two other defendants standing trial over alleged cocaine trafficking and related offences. Justice Musa Kakaki rejected the defendants’ bail applications after considering the seriousness of the allegations, the potential punishment upon conviction and the possibility that the accused persons could evade trial if released. The court also observed that the prevalence of illicit drug trafficking had become a serious menace to society. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) had arraigned Kazeem, Boniface Sule and…

A Lagos State Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Court sitting in Ikeja has sentenced a school teacher, Nwatu Isaac, to life imprisonment for defiling an eight-year-old pupil of El-Bossaa Nursery and Primary School, Epe. Justice Rahman Oshodi handed down the sentence on Tuesday after finding Isaac guilty of unlawfully having sexual intercourse with the child on March 10, 2022. The Lagos State Domestic and Sexual Violence Agency disclosed the development in a statement on Friday, saying the court also ordered that Isaac’s name be entered in the Lagos State Sexual Offenders Register. According to the agency, the order was made…

The Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority has impounded 20 cows in separate operations in Ibadan over alleged open grazing, residential cattle rearing and destruction of farm crops. The operations, carried out with security operatives, followed complaints over alleged violations of the state’s Open Rearing and Grazing Regulation Law, 2019. The Chairperson of the authority, Justice Aderonke Aderemi (retd.), disclosed this in a statement on Thursday. According to the statement, the first operation was conducted at dawn on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at Batake Village along the Ibadan-Eruwa Road, following a petition by Adewolu Farms over alleged persistent invasion…

Zainab Abioye The Federal Government has commenced a national youth conference in Abuja, bringing together about 360 young Nigerians from the six geopolitical zones to deliberate on issues affecting their future and the development of the country. The conference, which began on Friday, is expected to provide a platform for young Nigerians to make direct contributions to government policies on governance, leadership, employment, education, technology, climate change, social cohesion and security. Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, said the government could no longer afford to design programmes for young people without first listening to…

A Chief Magistrate’s Court in Imo State has sentenced a woman, Rose Okon, to six months in prison for assaulting her 14-year-old niece, who was reportedly in her care. Okon was convicted after pleading guilty to a one-count charge of assault before Chief Magistrate C.J. Nkwoada. The court, however, gave the convict an option of paying a N50,000 fine. According to the charge sheet, the incident occurred on September 19, 2026, at Umuneke in Ngor Okpala Local Government Area of Imo State. The prosecution alleged that Okon poured hot water on the teenager’s head and body, resulting in injuries described…