Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction to release full details of beneficiaries of the Conditional Cash Transfer programme in Ondo State within seven days. Delivering judgment on Monday, Justice Binta Nyako held that the ministry failed in its obligation under the Freedom of Information Act by withholding the records requested by a legal practitioner and former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ondo State, Myson Nejo. Nejo had approached the court after the ministry refused to furnish him with the names of beneficiaries and amounts disbursed…

There was heightened tension in Abuja on Monday as the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, held an emergency security meeting with service chiefs following a threat by United States President Donald Trump to launch military action in Nigeria over alleged killings of Christians. Top security sources told PLATFORM TIMES that the closed-door session, held at the National Counter-Terrorism Centre (NCTC), was convened to assess the diplomatic and security fallout of Trump’s remarks and to coordinate a unified national response. The meeting, which brought together heads of the Armed Forces and intelligence agencies, focused on “impact assessment, contingency planning, and reinforcing…

Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, on Monday formally dumped the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), ending weeks of speculation and triggering a major political shake-up in the South-South ahead of the 2027 general elections. The defection, described as one of the most consequential political shifts in Bayelsa since 2019, drew thousands of jubilant supporters who flooded Yenagoa in a carnival-like rally despite an early morning downpour. At the Samson Siasia Sports Complex, where an overflowing crowd forced security operatives to restrict entry to avoid a stampede, party loyalists in white T-shirts and colourful regalia…

An Enugu State High Court on Monday struck out a suit filed by a former Sterling Bank manager, Oliver Anidiobi, who sought to recover properties confiscated after he was convicted for stealing N219 million belonging to Ohha Microfinance Bank. Anidiobi, who was sentenced to eight years imprisonment in 2021 and later granted state pardon by Governor Peter Mbah in December 2024, had approached the court asking for the return of assets acquired with the proceeds of the crime. The properties had been ordered forfeited and sold to compensate Ohha Microfinance Bank after his conviction. Despite serving three years in prison…

… Families Recount Tragic Emergency Delays, Hospital Rejections … Doctors Push 24-Hour Primary Centres To Ease Pressure On Tertiary Care … Overcrowded Tertiary Hospitals Blame PHC Breakdown … Nigerians Bypass PHCs, Jam Teaching Hospitals Daud Olatunji & NAN A fresh alarm has been raised over Nigeria’s collapsing primary healthcare system as patients and medical experts blame the failure of Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs) for rising deaths, emergency delays and bed-space crises in tertiary hospitals across the country. The worsening situation, they said, is forcing Nigerians to bypass community health facilities and flood overstretched teaching hospitals — many of which now…

Daud Olatunji A 500-level student of Agricultural Economics and Farm Management at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB), Abdul-Hamid Awwal, has emerged winner of a brand-new car at the MTN Pulse Campus Invasion held at the institution. Awwal, who became the fifth car winner in Nigeria through the #MTNPulseCampusInvasion initiative, said determination and faith kept him confident throughout the exercise. Reacting to his victory during an exclusive interview with  PLATFORM TIMES, he said “Thank you MTN for taking the initiative to run this campus invasion.” Describing the moment he was announced winner, Awwal said he never doubted his chances.…

A train on the Warri–Itakpe rail corridor derailed on Saturday night, barely three days after the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) restored operations on the line, further heightening public fears over railway safety across the country. The derailment, which occurred at about 7:30 p.m. at Kilometre 212+8m in Agbor, Delta State, involved two of the seven coaches on the train. No life was lost and no injury was recorded. Announcing the incident in a statement on Sunday, the NRC Managing Director, Kayode Opeifa, attributed the derailment to suspected track vandalism. “Preliminary investigations indicated that the incident may have been caused by…

A cultural promoter and activist, Princess Adejoke Somoye, has revealed how she narrowly escaped death while campaigning against the spread of imported Chinese-made Adire fabrics in Ogun State. Somoye, the convener of the Ewa Ede cultural initiative, said unknown assailants fired gunshots at her and vandalised her vehicle during one of her campaigns to protect indigenous Adire makers from foreign imitation and market invasion. She made the disclosure during a visit to the Ogun State Commissioner for Industry, Trade and Investment, Adebola Sofela, in Abeokuta. According to her, the increasing influx of factory-produced Adire from China has crippled local production…

Woodhall Capital has unveiled plans to mobilise $50bn in global investment to accelerate infrastructure, energy, and economic development across Nigeria. The firm’s founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mojisola Hunponu-Wusu, disclosed this in an interview following a high-level pre-investment forum held at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, where representatives from Nigeria’s 36 states met with international investors and development finance institutions. Hunponu-Wusu said the initiative aims to unlock large-scale capital inflows into key sectors and strengthen Nigeria’s investment narrative on the global stage. “At the Abuja forum, we showcased Nigeria’s vast investment opportunities and underscored the critical role of African Direct Investments…

Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for approving major maritime and security infrastructure projects in Ogun State, describing them as transformative initiatives that will boost the economy and strengthen national security. Daniel, who chairs the Senate Committee on Navy, spoke on Sunday in Abigi, Ogun Waterside Local Government Area, during the Bola Ahmed Tinubu–Otunba Gbenga Daniel (BATOGD) Mid-term Community Assessment and Review Tour. He hailed the President for granting approval for a naval base and dockyard at Ode-Omi as well as advancing efforts to resuscitate the Olokola Deep…