Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Nigeria Police Force says it is facing obstacles in accessing the troubled community of Okuoma in the Niger Delta region due to an ongoing military operation. The  Delta State Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda said this. Speaking on Wednesday, Commissioner Abaniwonda explained that the police force has been unable to enter Okuoma due to the ongoing military operation in the area.  Despite this limitation, he emphasized the collaborative efforts with other security agencies to apprehend those responsible for the recent killing of 16 soldiers in the community. “In the Okuoma incident, we have an ongoing military operation there. We…

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice James Kolawole Omotoso, has dismissed a suit brought forth by the Seventh Day Adventist Church of Nigeria.  The suit aimed to halt the conduct of elections and examinations on Saturdays throughout the country. The judge rendered the decision on Wednesday, deeming the suit frivolous and lacking merit. The Seventh Day Adventist Church of Nigeria argued that Saturday, being their Sabbath day of worship, should be respected, and conducting elections and examinations on that day infringes upon the fundamental rights of its members. In response, the church sought a court order…

Scores of members from the Ogun State Park Management (OGSPAM) have made a significant move by declaring their support for the leadership of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) under Alhaji Mustapha Ismaila, popularly known as Yaro. This declaration was made evident as OGSPAM leaders across the state, including former heads of the body, pledged their loyalty to Mustapha Adewale Ismaila-led NURTW, thereby abandoning their former leader, Alhaji Akeem Abodurin popularly called Iyeru  The shift in allegiance stems from a series of grievances expressed by the OGSPAM members, as voiced by Alhaji Haruna Adekunjo former Secretary of OGSPAM.…

The three tiers of government – Federal, state and local governments – shared N10.143 trillion from the Federation Account as statutory revenue allocations in 2023. Dr Orji Ogbonnaya Orji, Executive Secretary, Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI), said this in a report on the Federation Account revenue allocations for the year 2023 released in Abuja on Tuesday. Orji said the NEITI FAAC Quarterly Review was carried out to enhance public understanding of Federation Account allocations and disbursements as published by the government. He explained that the ultimate objective of the report was to strengthen knowledge, awareness and promote public accountability…

The Delta State House of Assembly has issued a heartfelt plea to the Nigerian military to temper justice with mercy over the tragic killings of 16 soldiers in Okuama Community, Ughelli South Local Government Area of Delta State. The appeal came during Tuesday’s Plenary session, following a motion raised by Hon. Festus Utuama, representing Ughelli South State Constituency. Utuama passionately condemned the unprovoked attack on the soldiers and a civilian who were on a peacekeeping mission in the community. Presided over by Speaker Hon. Emomotimi Guwor, the session saw lawmakers expressing solidarity with the families of the deceased soldiers and…

A prosecution witness at the Federal High Court in Abuja, on Monday, revealed how Emmanuella Ita, the Head of Stakeholders Unit at the Federal Inland Revenue Services (FIRS), allegedly channeled substantial sums of money from the FIRS unit to her private institution, Surestart School Ltd. According to a press release by Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Ms. Ita operated Surestart School Ltd concurrently with her duties at the FIRS. Testifying as the sixth prosecution witness (PW6), EFCC investigator Ijeoma Matilda detailed to the court that the funds purportedly diverted by Ms. Ita were designated…

The Edo State House of Assembly has passed a resolution tasking the Chief Judge of the State, Justice Daniel Okungbowa, to establish a seven-man committee to investigate allegations of gross misconduct leveled against Deputy Governor Philip Shaibu. During Tuesday’s plenary session, 19 out of the 24 members voted in favor of the resolution, signaling strong support for the impeachment proceedings initiated against Shaibu. The House accuses him of perjury and leaking government secrets, leading to heightened tensions between him and Governor Godwin Obaseki. Efforts to serve the impeachment notice physically proved futile as Shaibu was reportedly out of state. Consequently,…

Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), made a bold statement on Tuesday, asserting that he could restore peace in the South East region within two minutes if released from prison. Speaking after being denied bail by Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja, Kanu expressed suspicion that certain individuals within the government were complicit in the insecurity plaguing the South East, alleging they were profiting from the turmoil. Kanu firmly stated that the ongoing insecurity would cease if he were freed, asserting his ability to swiftly bring peace to the region. He…

A Lagos businessman, Mr Chinedu Igbokwe, on Tuesday, told an Ikeja Special Court how a Bureau de Change operator, Abdulami Isah, allegedly defrauded him of $63,950. Igbokwe, who was led in evidence by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) Counsel, Mr A. A. Usman, said he was introduced to Isah on Oct 4, 2022, and by Oct. 6, he paid the defendant the said amount. The witness said after he made the payment, he waited for them to remit the fund (naira equivalent) and when they were not forthcoming, he then went to meet them. “They told me…

A woman has been brutally stabbed to death by her house help on Kiniun-Ifa Street, Sawmill Gbagada area of Lagos state. The unfortunate incident happened just seven days after the house help, identified as Peter, resumed work. The perpetrator reportedly fled the scene, leaving behind a trail of confusion. Authorities have arrested a relative of the agent who introduced Peter to the household, as the main agent remains elusive. Details surrounding the timeline of the murder remain unclear, with reports suggesting the victim’s son discovered her lifeless body on March 9, 2024, during a visit. According to eyewitnesses, the gruesome…