Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, in partnership with Wardiere Oakmount Development — a real estate firm based in Houston, Texas and Abuja — has launched an initiative to empower 4,000 farmers in the Federal Capital Territory. Tagged Operation Feed the Nation, the scheme will provide registered farmers in Kuje, Abuja, with seedlings and farmland to cultivate cashew, cocoa, maize, Malaysian palm trees, rice, millet, yam, and beans, among other crops. A statement signed by the Chairman of Wardiere Oakmount, Kunle Ilori, and made available to journalists on Friday, said the collaboration is aimed at supporting President Bola…

The Balogun of Iddo, Chief Ayodele Koleade, has assured that the vacant Agura of Gbagura stool will be filled within the next one month, putting an end to nearly two years of vacancy following the demise of the late monarch. Chief Koleade gave the assurance on Sunday during a meeting of the Gbagura Youth Development Council (GYDC) held at Oba Agura Square, Oke-Iddo, Abeokuta. He disclosed that all arrangements and processes towards the emergence of a new king from the Jiboso Ruling House would be completed before the end of May 2025, paving the way for the crowning of a…

The Evangelical Church Winning All, ECWA, has decried the spate of violence, banditry, and kidnappings in Kaduna and Plateau states, revealing that the Church has so far spent over N300 million on ransom payments. General Secretary of ECWA, Rev. Ayuba Asheshe, made the disclosure during a press conference held on Sunday in Jos, Plateau State. Asheshe said the persistent attacks had left the Church and its members devastated, noting that more than 50 members of the congregation were still in captivity despite the huge sums already expended. He said, “ECWA expresses its profound grief and deep concern over a surge…

The Akwa Ibom State Government has asked its medical trainees to take a binding oath to serve the state before pursuing opportunities abroad. This new policy, which aims to protect the state’s significant investment in the training of medical professionals, was announced by the Head of Civil Service, Elder Effiong Essien, in Uyo over the weekend. The move comes as the state grapples with the rising tide of skilled workers leaving Nigeria for better prospects— a phenomenon commonly referred to as “Japa.” Essien revealed that all medical trainees sponsored by the state will now be bound by a formal contract…

… JAMB Denies Allegations of 6 am Exam Schedule Daud Olatunji Former presidential candidate and ex-governor of Anambra State, Mr. Peter Obi, has berated the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) over what he described as the “reckless” scheduling of the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME), warning that the arrangement is putting the lives of young Nigerians at grave risk. In a statement issued on Sunday, Obi lamented that teenagers, many between the ages of 15 and 17, are being made to report at examination centres as early as 6:30am, often forcing them to travel in the dark through…

Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, has suspended the District Head of Daware in Fufore Local Government Area, Alhaji Hassan Ja’afaru, over allegations of corruption and maladministration. Ja’afaru’s suspension was conveyed in a letter dated April 25, 2025, and signed by the Permanent Secretary, Chieftaincy Affairs, Adama Mamman. The letter, which was made available to journalists on Sunday, accused the traditional ruler of corruption, breach of security, confiscation of farmlands, and failure to attend to traditional matters in his domain. The letter partly read, “Following a series of complaints made against you for maladministration, corruption, breach of security, confiscation of farmlands,…

The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has donated a brand new ambulance to Mainland Hospital, Yaba, Lagos, ending a decade-long wait and boosting the hospital’s emergency response and disease outbreak management capacity. For over ten years, the hospital, formerly known as the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH), operated without a functional ambulance, hampering the speed and quality of patient referrals and emergency evacuations. Speaking during the handover ceremony on Friday, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Mainland Hospital described the donation as a “game changer,” noting that the absence of an ambulance had long been a major setback. “Today, we received an…

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has commenced the payment of N46.6bn in liquidation dividends to depositors of the defunct Heritage Bank Plc. The Acting Head of Communication and Public Affairs, NDIC, Hawwau Gambo, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday and.de available to PLATFORM TIMES. According to her, the funds for the payments were realised from the sale of the bank’s assets and the recovery of outstanding debts. She explained that a liquidation dividend represents payments made to depositors of a closed bank, beyond the maximum insured limit, from proceeds of asset sales and debt recoveries. Gambo added that…

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have recovered illicit drug consignments worth over N1.04 billion following a major raid on an 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos. The agency said it seized 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent strain of cannabis, weighing 417.3 kilograms during the operation carried out between Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, 2025. In a statement on Sunday, the Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed that three suspects — Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh — were arrested during the raid on the five-storey building housing The Hook…

The Presidency on Sunday dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu is plotting to turn Nigeria into a one-party state following a series of high-profile defections into the ruling All Progressives Congress. In a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, the Presidency described the allegations as “false, baseless, and exaggerated.” The development follows the recent defection of top opposition leaders, including Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his predecessor, Ifeanyi Okowa, from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC. Several other PDP stalwarts in Delta, alongside chieftains of the New Nigerian Peoples…