Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Six people were on Tuesday arraigned before an Abeokuta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Isabo, on charges of impersonation, unlawful preparation of land instruments and conduct likely to cause a breach of the public peace. The accused — Rebecca Adeola, 32; Moses Toviesi, 23; Abimbola Opeyemi, 43; Precious Oluwole, 18; Eniola Sowunmi, 33; and Agbona Abdulrahman, 36 — pleaded not guilty to the three-count charge, the prosecutor, Insp. Lawrence Olu-Balogun, told the court. Olu-Balogun said the offences were committed at Isabo area of Abeokuta sometime in 2025 and involved unlawfully representing themselves as legal practitioners and preparing land documents without authorisation. He…

Jelil Lawal & Firdaus Obiremi Barely 24 hours after PLATFORM TIMES reported the heartbreaking story of 15-year-old Ayomide Matthew — a school dropout found scavenging for survival in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital — another out-of-school teenager has been discovered at the same location, living under similar circumstances. The new discovery came after the earlier report on Ayomide attracted responses from concerned citizens, including the Ogun State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Abayomi Arigbabu. Following the reactions, PLATFORM TIMES revisited the scene in search of Ayomide and found him alongside another 15-year-old boy identified as Basit Akanni, both…

The Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) has warned that the 15 per cent ad-valorem tariff recently approved by President Bola Tinubu on imported fuel and diesel could force Nigerians to spend an additional N3 billion daily on petrol consumption. Chief Executive Officer of MEMAN, Clement Isong, gave the warning in an interview at the weekend, describing the tariff as excessive and economically harsh on citizens. Isong explained that the projected N3 billion extra daily cost is based on Nigeria’s estimated consumption of 30 million litres of petrol per day. He said that if the tariff leads to a…

The First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has called on Nigerians, particularly the youths, to rise above religious and ethnic intolerance and embrace unity, harmony, and love as the foundation for national progress. Mrs Tinubu made the call on Monday in Abuja at the National Christian Youth Leaders Conference, organised by the Youth Wing of the Christian Association of Nigeria (YOWICAN), with the theme “Let the Truth Set You Free.” Her appeal came in response to the recent designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) by the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump, following alleged killings of…

…Over 100 Terrorists Killed in Rival Clash The Nigerian Air Force has intensified its nationwide counter-terrorism campaign, launching a wave of precision airstrikes that killed scores of terrorists and destroyed key insurgent enclaves across Borno, Kwara and Katsina States. According to Air Force authorities, the coordinated operations marked one of the most decisive phases yet in ongoing joint military offensives — Operation Hadin Kai in the North-East and Operation Fasan Yamma in the North-West — aimed at dismantling terrorist and bandit networks. Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, NAF’s Director of Public Relations and Information, said the latest air interdictions, executed on…

…Lawmakers Allege Donor Funds May Have Been Diverted To Terrorism …Health Ministry, Partners Ordered To Submit Full Spending Details …EFCC, ICPC To Track Every Kobo Spent On Disease Contro Daud Olatunji  The House of Representatives has launched a sweeping investigation into the alleged mismanagement of over $4.6 billion in donor funds earmarked for Nigeria’s fight against HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria, amid fears that portions of the funds may have been diverted for terrorist financing. The probe, spearheaded by the House Committee on Infectious Diseases, covers about $1.8 billion from the Global Fund and $2.8 billion from USAID disbursed between 2021…

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced a significant reduction in the 2026 Hajj fares for intending pilgrims across the country, following a directive from President Bola Tinubu to make the spiritual journey more affordable for Nigerian Muslims. President Tinubu had in October, through his Deputy Chief of Staff, Senator Ibrahim Hadeija, instructed the commission to review downward the fares it earlier announced for next year’s pilgrimage. In compliance, NAHCON on Monday released a new fare schedule, showing substantial cuts for pilgrims from all zones. According to the revised rates, intending pilgrims from Borno and Adamawa zones will…

Nobel laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has dismissed claims by former United States President, Donald Trump, alleging that Christians in Nigeria are being persecuted, insisting that the nation’s security challenges stem from extremism rather than religious hostilities. Trump had recently ordered the U.S. Department of Defence to prepare for “possible action” in Nigeria, alleging widespread killings of Christians and urging the Nigerian government to act swiftly. However, Soyinka, in an interview with Democracy Now, faulted Trump’s remarks, saying such sweeping generalisations distort the reality of Nigeria’s internal conflicts and could further inflame sectarian sentiments. “The situation should not be viewed as…

Ogun State Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, has expressed confidence that Nigerian athletes will make the nation proud at the ongoing 6th Islamic Solidarity Games in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Speaking with journalists at the event, Salako-Oyedele, who is part of the Nigerian Sports Commission’s delegation, said Team Nigeria is set to compete with passion, excellence and national pride. According to her, the Islamic Solidarity Games present yet another golden platform for Nigerian athletes to showcase their skills, discipline, and competitive spirit on the international stage. She described Nigeria’s participation in the multi-nation tournament as “a proud moment for the country,”…

 Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, has announced that the newly renovated 250-bed Ogun State Medical Centre of Excellence in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, will be commissioned in December 2025. The governor disclosed this during an inspection of the hospital, which was built by the previous administration . PLATFORM TIMES had done two special  reports on the hospital built by former administration of Senator Ibikunle Amosun. Speaking during the inspection,he  said the facility would be managed in partnership with the Abuja Medical Centre of Excellence, which counts King’s College Hospital among its international partners. Describing the hospital as a “spoke” of the…