Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A 12-year-old girl has been recovered from the rubble after a one-storey building located at 122, Herbert Macaulay Way, Lagos Bus Stop, Ebute Metta, Lagos, collapsed, leading to a search and rescue operation.  The latest development reveals that a girl was discovered though her condition is suspected to be fatal. Earlier reports indicated the successful rescue of an adult female from the collapsed structure, bringing a glimmer of hope amidst the tragedy. However, the situation took a somber turn as the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service provided updates on the ongoing operation. Initially, the Fire Service reported that three…

The Federal Fire Service (FFS) Kamo State,  has trained 50 repentant individuals, formerly associated with the notorious Boko Haram terrorist group. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the  initiative marks a significant step toward their rehabilitation and integration into society. Kano State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Muhammed Usaini Gumel  commended the management team of the FFS for their role in training these individuals on fire safety techniques, transforming them into fire service ambassadors. These 50 individuals are part of a larger group of 623 former thugs who received repentance and amnesty after renouncing their involvement in criminal activities and surrendering their…

Daud Olatunji A 14- year- old girl (namewitheld) was allegedly abducted and  gang raped by two suspected cultists identified as Precious a.k.a Pere and Chidebere a.k.a B2K. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occured  on December 20 at about 10am. The victim was reportedly taken  to an apartment in a three-storey building at National street, Mile 3 Diobu, Port Harcourt where they gang raped her. A source said the suspected cultists threatened the teenage girl that she would be killed if she told anybody. PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that the apartment where the teenage girl was gang raped was  being…

For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning can be a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures and teaching approaches available. Oluwatobi Odeyinka writes.  Helen Samuel is a 40-year-old HND 2 student at The Polytechnic, Ibadan. And while her mobility disability couldn’t stop her from pursuing education to the tertiary level, it subjected her academic journey to a snail’s pace from attending a public primary school in Akoko village of Ondo State to The Polytechnic, Ibadan. Driven by a burning passion for education, Ms Samuel persists but describes her academic journey as “hell”. According to her, her legs have been paralyzed since she was a child and no exact…

Daud Olatunji In a significant development, France has declared its commitment to returning $150 million looted by former Nigerian head of State, Sani Abacha. This announcement was reiterated during the 10th Conference of the State Parties (CoSP) to the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). This was disclosed in a Joint release issued by Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)/ Transparency International (TI) Nigeria’s Executive Director, Auwal Musa Rasfanjani, and TI France’s Head of Illicit Financial Flows Programme, Sara Brimbeuf. The statement read that the funds were part of approximately $500 million identified in a 2014 U.S. court judgment that…

In a significant stride toward operationalizing the world’s largest single-train refinery, the Dangote Refinery has received a second shipment of one million barrels of bonny light crude from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).  This delivery follows closely on the heels of the first one million barrels of Agbami crude received a week ago, marking the second phase of the anticipated six million barrels for the refinery. The latest consignment, sourced from the Shell terminal via the MT Otis owned by Trafigura, underscores the strategic collaboration between industry players in Nigeria’s oil sector. Mr. Akin Omole, the Managing Director…

 Ogun State  government has unveiled  its plans to renovate a total of 472 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) spread throughout the state.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that many of the PHCs had been moribund while others were dilapidated . The Commissioner for Health, Dr. Tomi Coker, disclosed this  during the official commissioning of the Royal Health Center in Ake. Coker highlighted that the commitment to revamp the healthcare infrastructure was not a mere promise but a tangible goal, with 236 PHCs earmarked for renovation in the first term of the present administration. The ambitious plan aims to extend this facelift to…

In a compassionate move to address the dual calamities of migrating elephants and relentless flooding, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State took swift action by providing financial assistance to over 10,000 families in the Kala-Balge Local Government Area. The Kala-Balge communities, situated in the path of elephant migration routes from Cameroon’s Lagdo Dam shores to Lake Chad, faced severe challenges as the wild beasts devoured a significant portion of the annual farm produce. This ongoing issue has consistently eroded the livelihoods of the majority of residents in the area. Adding to their plight, this year saw the local government cut…

Ondo State Acting Governor, Hon Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has presented the proposed N384.533 billion 2024 budget to the State House of Assembly.  The budget, named the “Budget of Economic Resilience,” outlines ambitious allocations for various sectors, with infrastructural development taking the lead. In the presentation before the State House of Assembly, Aiyedatiwa detailed the budget, allocating N212,014,859,647.00 for capital expenditure and N172,518,140,353.00 for recurrent expenditure. Notably, the infrastructural development sector received the lion’s share, amounting to N95,482,176,340.36, constituting 24.8% of the entire budget proposal. The acting governor justified the emphasis on infrastructure, citing its pivotal role in stimulating the economy…

In a decisive move against corruption within the police force, the Commissioner of Police for Oyo State, Adebola Hamzat, has taken swift action by ordering the immediate dismissal of two Special Constabulary officers.  The officers, identified as Jimoh Lukman and Kareem Fatai, were publicly paraded at the Oyo State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan. The dismissal stems from an incident captured in a viral video where Lukman and Fatai were caught demanding money from a Dutch tourist. The tourist, riding a power bike from the Netherlands en route to Abuja, found himself targeted by the two officers engaging in extortion.…