Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Michael Babatunde In a renewed push to address the alleged lead poisoning crisis rocking Ogijo, the Ogun State Government has announced plans to begin free lead poisoning tests for residents living around the seven recently sealed Used Lead-Acid Battery (ULAB) recycling plants. The move comes in the wake reports and public outcry that prompted the immediate temporary suspension of ingot export from the state and the shutdown of the implicated facilities. This is the second response from the State government within a week after PLATFORM TIMES amplified the discovery in Ogijo. PLATFORM TIMES has earlier reported the lead poisoning discovery…

The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese and convener of the National Peace Committee (NPC), Most Rev. Matthew Kukah, has rejected claims that Christians are facing genocide in Nigeria, insisting that intent, not casualty figures, determines genocide. Speaking at the 46th Supreme Convention of the Knights of St. Mulumba (KSM) in Kaduna, Kukah addressed what he described as misinterpretations of his previous statements. “People say there is genocide in Nigeria. What I presented at the Vatican was a 1,270-page study on genocide in Nigeria and elsewhere. My argument is that it is not accurate to claim there is genocide or martyrdom…

A student from Benue State has recounted a terrifying escape after being kidnapped along the Osokoko–Obajana Road in Kogi State, shedding light on the increasing insecurity in the region and raising suspicions of local complicity with armed bandits. Ojaja Joseph, a Benue State student en route to Abuja for his Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) programme, was among passengers abducted from a commercial bus on Thursday. In a video circulated by Egbe Mekun Parrot, Joseph detailed the harrowing journey through the forested terrain and multiple rivers. “We were inside the bus when they attacked. They marched us into the…

Veteran journalist and political commentator, Dele Momodu, has disclosed that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar may select former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election if former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi declines the offer. Speaking  on Sunday, Momodu, a close political ally of Atiku, urged Obi to join forces with the former vice president to form a strong opposition coalition capable of challenging the ruling party. “Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar are the only figures who can deliver the strongest opposition alliance since 2019,” Momodu said. “We have met several…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has dragged the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, before the Federal High Court in Abuja over the alleged misappropriation of N18.6 billion allocated for the construction of the National Assembly Service Commission (NASC) Office Complex. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2457/2025, was filed last week and also lists the National Assembly Service Commission as a respondent. SERAP is seeking a court order compelling the top lawmakers and the Commission to publicly account for the funds and disclose details of the company that received the controversial…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has confiscated the international passport of a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), as part of an ongoing probe into the whereabouts of $490 million Abacha loot repatriated under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the former minister was released around 1am on Saturday after hours of interrogation at the EFCC headquarters in Abuja. One of the conditions for his temporary release was that he must report daily to the commission for further questioning over the next one month. A source within the commission…

A fresh wave of agricultural and youth empowerment has commenced in Ondo North Senatorial District as businessman and grassroots philanthropist, Engr. Michael Abayomi Adeyanju, rolled out a new round of support initiatives for farmers and young people across the zone. The programme, organised under the Imole Progressive Network (IPN) in partnership with Tex-Mex Royal Farms Ltd, kicked off on Saturday, November 29, 2025, with the first phase covering Owo and Ose Local Government Areas. Farmers received items including hybrid maize seeds, hybrid cassava stems, herbicides, cutlasses, water pumps, and other essential farm chemicals and inputs, while selected youths also benefited…

… Says Abiodun Sabotaging Federal Projects In Ijebu North Former governor of Ogun State, and a Senator representing Ogun East Senatorial district, Senator Gbenga Daniel has launched a fresh attack on the  State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, accusing him of operating what he described as a “three-man closed government” and sabotaging federal projects meant for residents of Ijebu North. Daniel, spoke during the Midterm Community Assessment and Review Tour of the BATOGD Movement in Ijebu North Local Government on Sunday. The former governor said despite his loyalty to the All Progressives Congress and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, he had been subjected…

The Omoluabi Parapo Conservative Group has lauded President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s recent declaration of a state of emergency on insecurity, describing it as a decisive move to curb rising criminal activities across Nigeria. The group’s Convener, Obabìnrin Aderonke Okeleye, in a statement on Friday, said the President’s action demonstrates strong political will to protect citizens and safeguard national development from the “increasingly audacious activities of criminal elements.” Okeleye called on security agencies to seize the opportunity to deepen collaboration, strengthen operational strategies, and prioritise intelligence-driven approaches to protect vulnerable communities nationwide. While praising the federal initiative, she urged South-West governors…

Tension escalated in Ibese town, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, on Saturday as residents staged a peaceful protest against what they described as a deliberate and politically backed attempt to encroach on their ancestral land, with the establishment of Frontier Radio 102.9 FM sparking outrage. At least 30 residents marched through the streets carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Stop False Territorial Claims,” “No to Encroachment,” “Ibese United Against Encroachment,” and “Frontier FM and Hotel Should Not Trespass Ibese.” Addressing journalists, Mr. Luqman Alagbe, General Secretary of the Ibese Youth Association, alleged that the owner of Frontier…