Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Saudi Ministry of Interior has announced penalties for individuals who violate regulations requiring a permit to perform Hajj and for those who facilitate such violations. According to the Saudi Press Agency (SPA), the ministry said the following penalties will begin from Dhul-Qi’dah 1 until the end of Dhul-Hijjah 14. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that “Dhul-Qi’dah, Dhul-Hijjah’’ is the period from the first day of the 11th month in the Islamic Hijri calendar, Dhu’l-Qa’dah, until the last day of the 12th month, Dhu’l-Hijjah. NAN reports that this period is significant as it includes the month preceding the…

A Nigerian national, Okenyehike Kelvin Obianke, has been arraigned before a Malaysian magistrates’ court for allegedly biting off a police officer’s ear during an altercation in Kuala Lumpur. Obianke, 38, pleaded not guilty to a charge of causing grievous harm to Corporal Danielrul Azraq Ahmad Khair, 36, attached to the mobile patrol unit of the Sentul district police headquarters. The incident reportedly occurred around 10:10am on April 25, 2025, in front of a private clinic at Metro Prima, Kepong. Appearing before Magistrate S. Mageswary on Wednesday, April 30, Obianke, a private college student who was unrepresented in court, claimed the…

The Edo State Government has deposed three traditional rulers in Etsako West and Etsako East Local Government Areas for allegedly violating traditional and legal succession guidelines. A statement issued on Wednesday by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr Umar Ikhilor, in Benin, announced the removal of Umoru Inusa Umoru as the Aidenogie of South Ibie in Etsako West. According to Ikhilor, Umoru’s removal followed the discovery that the Aidenogie stool was not vacant at the time of his purported appointment. Consequently, Alhaji Aliyu Kelvin Danesi has been reinstated as the legitimate holder of the position. In a related development,…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday interrogated the Acting Managing Director of the Port Harcourt Refining Company Limited (PHRC), Jelili Ademoye, following a major shake-up in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). The development came just hours after NNPCL announced the removal of the Managing Directors of its three state-owned refineries—PHRC, Warri Refining and Petrochemical Company Limited (WRPC), and Kaduna Refining and Petrochemical Company (KRPC). Those affected by the sweeping changes include Ibrahim Onoja (PHRC), Dr. Mustafa Sugungun (KRPC), and Efifia Chu (WRPC). Sources at the refinery told The Punch that EFCC operatives stormed the Port…

The Nigeria Customs Service has intercepted 11 containers laden with unregistered sex-enhancement drugs, expired food items, and controlled devices valued at N921bn at the Apapa Ports in Lagos. The Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, made this known on Wednesday during a press briefing at the command. He said the seizures, made between January and April 2025, included five 40-foot containers, two 20-foot containers, and four other shipments of contraband goods. Adeniyi disclosed that five of the containers were filled with unregistered sexual performance drugs, which he described as a “clear danger to public health” with the potential to cause high…

The Rivers State Government has defended its decision to retrieve three official vehicles from the residence of the suspended Deputy Governor, Dr. Ngozi Odu, insisting that the action was a routine administrative measure and not politically motivated. The vehicles—two Toyota Hilux vans and one Hiace bus—were reportedly recovered from Odu’s official residence in what the government described as part of efforts to safeguard state-owned assets. Hector Igbikiowubo, Senior Special Adviser on Media to the state’s Sole Administrator, Ibok-Ete Ibas, said in a statement on Tuesday that the retrieval was carried out in line with standard governance practices and should not…

Suspended Governor of Rivers State, Siminalayi Fubara, has reportedly visited the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, in a dramatic attempt to reconcile following months of intense political hostilities. According to reliable sources, the meeting took place at Wike’s Abuja residence on Friday, April 18, and was facilitated by Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, and former Ogun Governor, Olusegun Osoba. Eyewitness accounts revealed that Fubara prostrated before his predecessor, gripped his legs, and repeatedly called him “My Oga” in a display of remorse and submission. The encounter reportedly lasted into the early hours of Saturday, April 19.…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has raised the alarm over alleged complicity of some bank staff in aiding internet fraudsters and obstructing ongoing investigations. The Acting Zonal Director of the EFCC in Rivers State, Assistant Commander of the EFCC (ACE I), Adebayo Adeniyi, made the disclosure on Tuesday while addressing bank compliance officers during an engagement session in Port Harcourt. Adeniyi accused some account officers of compromising the integrity of financial institutions by creating multiple accounts for fraudsters and tipping them off when their accounts are under EFCC investigation. “In as much as you have to protect the…

A Grade A Customary Court sitting in the Mapo area of Ibadan, Oyo State, has formally dissolved a 13-year-old marriage between a teacher, Mr. Durojaye Akingbade, and his estranged wife, Olabisi, on the grounds of stubbornness and prolonged denial of conjugal rights. Delivering judgment, the presiding judge, Mrs. S.M. Akintayo, ruled that the marriage had broken down irretrievably, stressing that the court could not compel the petitioner to remain in a union he no longer wished to continue. In the interest of peace, she ordered both parties to go their separate ways. The court also granted a restraining order barring…

Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State has sparked speculation about a possible defection ahead of the 2027 general elections, likening the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to a faulty aircraft unfit for travel. Speaking on Tuesday during the Ukanafun/Oruk Anam federal constituency town square meeting held at QIC Central School, Ikot Akpankuk, the governor subtly distanced himself from the embattled PDP, stating that good governance—not party loyalty—should be the people’s priority. “What Akwa Ibom people want is good governance, not the name of the party,” Eno said. “If you wanted to travel with Ibom Airline, and on the verge of…