Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has hinted at a renewed political battle in Rivers State ahead of 2026, declaring that political activities would resume in earnest from January next year while insisting that all political agreements must be honoured. Wike’s remarks have further fuelled speculation that the protracted political crisis in Rivers State — and the much-publicised peace deal between him and Governor Siminalayi Fubara — may be far from over, despite repeated assurances of reconciliation. Speaking on Saturday during a briefing with stakeholders from Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas, the former Rivers…

The Federal Government has graduated more than 7,000 newly recruited forest guards and ordered their immediate deployment across seven frontline states as part of renewed efforts to combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities thriving in Nigeria’s forests. The guards, trained under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative launched by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025, completed an intensive three-month programme coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser. Graduation ceremonies were held simultaneously on Friday in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states. The initiative is a joint Federal–State security intervention aimed at reclaiming forest reserves…

The Ogun State Police Command on Friday confirmed the arrest of eight individuals allegedly involved in unlawful assembly, obstruction of traffic, and assaults on police officers at Sango-Ota. The suspects, identified as members of a group operating under the name Democratic Republic of the Yoruba, were apprehended following reports of road barricades, bonfires, and public disruption at Temidire Junction and the Sango-Ota under-bridge. Speaking in a statement, the command’s spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said, “Upon receiving the report, police operatives were immediately mobilised to the affected locations, where they successfully dispersed the group and restored normalcy.” The arrested individuals were named…

… Critics Accuse Gov Misusing Public Funds Amid Infrastructure Decay …PDP Warns Gesture Undermines Local Government Autonomy Daud Olatunji Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has come under intense scrutiny and criticism following his Christmas Day distribution of 20 brand-new 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross SUVs to the state’s local government chairmen. The presentation, which took place in Abeokuta, formed part of the Christmas festivities and drew expressions of appreciation from the council chairmen. Represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, Governor Abiodun said the vehicles were provided to enhance effective governance and service delivery at the…

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has launched a blistering attack on Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, accusing him of abusing power and crippling the Peoples Democratic Party across the South-West. Fayose alleged that Makinde’s leadership style had fractured the party’s base, driven away loyalists and weakened its structures in the region. Speaking during an interview, monitored by PLATFORM TIMES, the former governor claimed that Makinde had alienated many party members who worked for his emergence as governor. “Almost everybody who laboured for his ascension has been driven away,” Fayose said, accusing Makinde of sidelining party faithful and consolidating power…

Residents of Offa Local Government Area of Kwara State were thrown into panic on Thursday night following multiple explosions that rocked parts of the town, destroying at least three buildings and sparking widespread confusion over their cause. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the explosions, which occurred at about 9:38pm, affected three different locations, forcing residents to flee their homes amid fears of a bomb attack or a possible aircraft crash. Eyewitnesses gave conflicting accounts of the incident, with some residents alleging that the blasts were linked to alleged United States military airstrikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Sokoto State, while others speculated…

Despite a steady rise in allocations from the Federation Account and improved internally generated revenue (IGR), several state governments, including Ogun, Ekiti, Lagos, Ondo, Plateau and Imo, have failed to announce any end-of-year bonus or 13th-month salary for workers, heightening concerns over government priorities as civil servants grapple with worsening economic hardship. Findings by PLATFORM TIMES across the states reveal a growing sense of frustration among workers, many of whom say the silence from their governments contrasts sharply with public claims of fiscal stability and expanding revenues. While a few states have moved to cushion the festive season for workers…

The Presidency has clarified that the recent United States airstrikes carried out in parts of Sokoto State were strictly targeted at terrorists and not directed at any ethnic or religious group, amid growing public debate over the operation. According to the Federal Government, the strike was a joint military operation between Nigeria and the United States, executed after weeks of intelligence gathering, surveillance and strategic coordination by both countries. The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Policy Communication, Mr Daniel Bwala, made the clarification in a statement posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) handle on Tuesday. “For clarity,…

Veteran Nigerian singer, Innocent Idibia, popularly known as 2Baba, has declared that he has put an end to what he described as reckless lifestyle choices that once defined public perception of his private life. The award-winning musician made the statement in Benin City, Edo State, during the MC EdoPikin Undiluted with StarBoy and Legends show, moments before stepping on stage to perform. Speaking candidly to the audience, the African Queen crooner said he now feels compelled to openly address long-standing narratives surrounding his relationships with women, insisting that he no longer lives the way many people assume. “I get confession.…

Prominent Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has strongly condemned the United States military airstrike carried out in parts of Sokoto State on Christmas Day, describing it as a dangerous “neo-Crusade” and a direct assault on Islam and Northern Nigerian Muslims. Gumi, in a statement issued on Friday, faulted the justification given by U.S. authorities for the strike, warning that foreign military involvement would further destabilise Nigeria and deepen religious divisions. “The attacks are symbolic of a harbinger of a neo-Crusade war against Islam,” the cleric said. “Why attack Sokoto, where over 90 per cent of the population are Muslims and…