Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji In a bid to rejuvenate Nigeria’s struggling power industry, the federal government has revealed that electricity companies in the country require an infusion of approximately N2 trillion ($2.5 billion) in new capital.  An energy adviser to President Bola Tinubu,Olu Verheijen highlighted the over-leveraged and under-capitalized state of power firms, emphasising the urgent need for new investors to breathe life into an industry struggling to meet the demands of its 200 million residents. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the nation currently generates and supplies a modest 3,500MW to 4,500MW of power across its 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory,…

Daud Olatunji In a significant stride against crude oil theft, the Nigerian Navy (NN) revealed yesterday that its operations in 2023 resulted in the apprehension of 23 ships, over 233 suspects, and 690 wooden boats engaged in the illicit trade.  Additionally, the Navy reported the destruction of 703 illegal refining sites, marking a crucial blow to criminal activities in the maritime domain. Rear Admiral A.O. Ayo-Vaughan, the Director of Information, disclosed that the crackdown extended beyond vessels, with tens of barges, 82 vehicles, and tanker trucks seized during the operations.  The confiscated crude oil and petroleum products, valued at over…

Oyo governor Seyi Makinde has approved the release of 10 inmates in Correctional Centres in the state and commuted four death sentences to life imprisonment. The State Controller of Correctional Service, Mr Abdulraheen Salami, disclosed this in a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Olanrewaju Anjorin, in Ibadan and made available to newsmen on Thursday. Salami stated that 15 additional inmates had their sentences reviewed downward, while another four were granted conditional release under the governor’s signed clemency order. He said that the four inmates granted conditional release were undergoing degree programmes in the National Open University at…

Two Police Inspectors attached to the Zonal Command Headquarters Onikan Lagos, Sunday Adetoye and Ogunleye Stephen, have been dismissed for allegedly conspiring with three civilians to rob two men of their valuables at Obada-Oko in Ogun. The two inspectors will also be charged to court alongside the civilians involved in the robbery of the two men, the Zonal Public Relations Officer, SP Tunni Ayuba said in a statement issued on behalf the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG) in charge of Zone 2, Ari Muhammed on Thursday. According to the statement, the AIG ordered the dismissal of two Police Inspectors…

The Kano State Police have arrested Mr. Chidera Ugwu 24, a quack doctor, for allegedly causing the death of a pregnant woman through the administration of a wrongful injection in an attempt to abort the unborn baby.  Concurrently, notorious thug Yusuf Haruna, also known as Lagwatsani (18), was apprehended for fatally stabbing an Imam. Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Mohammed Usaini Gumel, shared details of the arrests, highlighting the commendable progress in the relentless pursuit of justice. Both Chidera and Yusuf will face charges related to highly sensitive homicide cases that have deeply shaken the Kano community. The arrest of…

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) successfully apprehended three notorious ‘one chance’ armed robbers operating around the Abule-Egba area of Lagos on Thursday.  The suspects were pursued by alert residents who observed a man being forcibly ejected from their operational vehicle after being robbed of valuables. According to a press release from Adebayo Taofiq, the Director of the Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, the suspects were captured alongside their operational vehicle, a painted ‘T4’ commercial bus (APP 406 YE), at the U-turn area of Abule-Egba. One of the robbers managed to escape with a Point On Sale…

In a recent budget analysis session in Osogbo, Professor Ademola Adeleke, the Commissioner for Budget, addressed concerns regarding the allocation of N702 million for meals and entertainment in the offices of the governor and secretary to the government in 2024. Adeleke debunked rumors suggesting an inflated N11 billion allocation, clarifying that the total recurrent expenditure for the Office of the Governor, including various agencies such as the deputy governor’s office, chief of staff’s office, and bureaus, amounted to N8 billion.  Of this, only N600 million was earmarked for meals and entertainment. Similarly, he highlighted that the Office of the Secretary…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is currently scrutinising 52 companies for their involvement in foreign exchange transactions with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) during the tenure of the former CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele. Operatives of the EFCC recently conducted a search operation at the Lagos head office of the Dangote Group, one of the companies under investigation.  The investigation focuses on forex allocations to these companies during Emefiele’s leadership at the CBN. In a move to gather relevant information, the anti-graft commission has sent letters to the implicated companies, requesting documentation on their forex transactions spanning the…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Tincan Special Area Command, announced a significant breakthrough on Thursday, revealing the interception of 876.453 kilograms of various illicit drugs and controlled substances in 2023. In a statement issued by Area Commander Mohammed Abubakar, the intercepted drugs included 24kg of cocaine, 852.45kg of cannabis, and 0.003kg of Tramadol, bringing the total to 876.453kg. Abubakar disclosed that during this period, 15 individuals were apprehended and faced legal proceedings, resulting in the conviction of 10 of them.  This accomplishment was attributed to the relentless efforts and meticulous investigations that dismantled several drug trafficking networks. “The…

The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has broken it’s silence over the certificate racketeering scheme as reported by  an undercover reporter, Audu Umar. NYSC said  the reporter manipulated the system by altering his email address and phone number during the application process, successfully evading initial detection. The NYSC claimed that the reporter managed to breach the system and secure mobilization for the NYSC, despite having already completed his service in 2019. NYSC spokesman Eddy Megwa said this, adding hat the system initially rejected Umar due to his prior service but accepted him after the changes, leading to his initial posting…