Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Shareholders of Dangote Cement Plc on Monday lauded the Board and Management of the company for their resilience and commitment to value creation, after approving a dividend payout of N502.6 billion at the company’s 2024 Annual General Meeting (AGM) held in Lagos. The dividend, which translates to N30 per share, was declared despite Nigeria’s volatile macroeconomic environment, foreign exchange fluctuations, and ongoing expansion efforts. In addition to the hefty shareholder payout, Dangote Cement significantly ramped up its corporate social responsibility (CSR) investment by 469.8 per cent, spending N13.2 billion across various sectors including education, healthcare, agriculture, infrastructure, and economic empowerment.…

A  final-year student of Rufus Giwa Polytechnic, Owo, Ondo State, Arobo Precious, has been found dead in a bush near his residence, in what police have described as a suspected case of suicide. The 27-year-old, a Higher National Diploma II student, was discovered hanging from a tree with a rope around his neck, days after he reportedly shared a distressing video on social media hinting at emotional turmoil. The tragic discovery was made on June 18, 2025, and later confirmed by the Ondo State Police Command. According to the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Olayinka Alayande, the incident was reported…

The Federal Criminal Investigation Department (FCID).has arrested and detained the founder and lead pastor of Prophetic Victory Voice of Fire Ministry in Gwagwalada, Abuja,Amos Isah, for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl (name withheld). PLATFORM TIMES reports that the cleric was arrested and detained last week. The cleric with charismatic sermons and claims of divine power, had his church, located behind Noble Noel Academy, opposite the Gwagwalada Market in Abuja. PLATFORM TIMES further gathered that the cleric abused his spiritual influence to exploit a minor. Sources within the FCID confirm that the victim, a 14-year-old girl, was allegedly sexually assaulted by…

Daud Olatunji A leaked memo has revealed that the Department of State Services (DSS) alerted military authorities to imminent attacks on several communities in Benue and Nasarawa states nearly a month before gunmen killed over 200 people in coordinated raids. The confidential document, dated May 13 and seen by TheCable, was addressed to Moses Gara, the commander of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), a joint military task force operating in the Middle Belt region. Despite the intelligence, the deadly attacks still occurred on June 13, with the Yelewata and Daudu communities in Guma Local Government Area (LGA) of Benue State suffering…

 Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has openly expressed deep regret for supporting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s rise to power, describing the President as “evil” and calling for his removal. Speaking during an interview on Arise News Channel’s PrimeTime programme on Monday, El-Rufai, a founding member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), admitted that his role in Tinubu’s emergence as President contributed to the current political and economic hardship Nigerians are experiencing. “I just feel like I contributed to this country’s problems by bringing the evil Tinubu into power. I should do the last lap by removing him,”…

…Demand Attorney-General’s Intervention, Compensation, and Public Apology Daud Olatunji A community of commercial farmers in Lagos State has accused the state government of abandoning them in the wake of a military invasion that reportedly destroyed farmland and agribusiness investments worth over ₦3 billion. The farmers, under the Afero Commercial Farmers’ Cooperative, say their land was lawfully allocated by the Lagos State Government but was forcefully taken over in December 2023 by operatives of the Nigerian Army, allegedly acting on behalf of the Federal Government. In a petition to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and a letter addressed to the Lagos State Attorney-General…

Daud Olatunji  The Ogun State Government, in collaboration with the State House of Assembly and civil society actors, has reaffirmed its commitment to ending gender-based violence (GBV) and ensuring equity and inclusion through far-reaching legislative reforms. Speaking during a high-level Parliamentary Dialogue on Monday, June 23, 2025, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye, described the event as a “strategic battleground against injustice, ignorance, and indifference.” The dialogue, held at Mitros Residence in Abeokuta and facilitated under the World Bank-supported Ogun State Economic Transformation Project (OGSTEP), focused on three critical legislative instruments—the Diversity, Equity and…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested a former Chief Financial Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Umar Ajiya Isa, in connection with an alleged $7.2 billion fraud linked to the failed rehabilitation of Nigeria’s three major refineries in Port Harcourt, Kaduna, and Warri. Sources within the anti-graft agency confirmed that Isa is being investigated for his alleged role in the disbursement and possible misappropriation of billions of dollars earmarked for the turnaround maintenance of the refineries. According to credible EFCC insiders who spoke on condition of anonymity, the total amount under scrutiny is $2,956,872,622.36.…

…Police arrest 11 suspects, deploy anti-kidnapping team Tension has gripped residents of Ilero town in the Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State following the abduction of two women and the gruesome killing of a farmer by suspected gunmen. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the two victims were abducted on Thursday while working at an agro-products shop in the town, triggering widespread fear and a protest by angry youths demanding the expulsion of suspected Fulani herders from the community. The incident, which occurred at a farm settlement on the outskirts of the town, has since sparked outrage among residents who…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has launched a nationwide agricultural mechanisation initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria’s farming sector, promising to make agriculture not only more productive but also appealing to the country’s youthful population. Speaking on Monday in Abuja during the official flag-off of the programme under his administration’s Renewed Hope agenda, President Tinubu declared that modern equipment would soon replace archaic farming methods, thereby repositioning agriculture as a viable and exciting profession for Nigerian youths. “This equipment, when deployed, will empower mechanisation and service providers, create job opportunities, make farming easy and more ‘sexy’ to our young ones,” the President…