Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Government has disbursed N333.12bn to eight electricity generation companies under the first phase of its legacy debt settlement programme, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in Nigeria’s troubled power sector and improving electricity supply. The payment, which covers 17 power plants that signed participation agreements with the government, forms part of a broader financial reform initiative designed to address long-standing debts owed to power generation companies. Special Adviser to the President on Energy, Olu Verheijen, disclosed this on Tuesday during the investor forum for the second series of the Presidential Power Sector Financial Reforms Programme bond issuance.…

The Nigeria Hydrological Services Agency has issued a seven-day flood alert for 17 states, warning residents in flood-prone communities to relocate immediately as rising river levels increase the risk of localised flooding across the country. The warning, contained in the National Flood Advisory (Alert No. NFA-2026-200), covers the period between July 21 and July 27, with the agency attributing the threat to rising water levels recorded at key river monitoring stations nationwide. The Director-General of NIHSA, Umar Mohammed, said the states likely to be affected are Adamawa, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Edo, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi, Nasarawa, Niger, Plateau,…

Two brothers returning from an Islamiyya school have been swept away and killed by floodwaters in Janbago community, Katsina State, as residents blamed the tragedy on the community’s longstanding drainage problems. The victims, identified as Muhammad Salisu, 12, and his seven-year-old brother, Abdurrahman Salisu, reportedly drowned after a heavy downpour accompanied by strong winds turned roads in the community into torrents. Their bodies were later recovered from separate locations after a frantic search by residents, throwing the community into mourning. The children’s father, Malam Salisu Arabi, described the incident as the darkest day of his life, saying he never imagined…

Zainab Abioye Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa State on Monday conducted a surprise inspection of the state secretariat in Dutse, where he reportedly found several offices of top government officials locked as late as 11 a.m., with many senior civil servants yet to report for duty. The unannounced visit, which has since sparked reactions after a video of the exercise surfaced online, saw the governor move through various ministries to assess staff attendance, punctuality and workplace productivity. During the inspection, many offices were deserted, while only a few messengers and security personnel were seen at their duty posts. Confirming the…

A father of 11, Lawal Hamisu, has approached a Sharia Court in Kaduna State, seeking an order compelling his 27-year-old daughter to accept a suitor and get married. Hamisu, through his counsel, H.B. Debo, told Sharia Court II sitting at Magajin Gari on Tuesday that his daughter, Fatima Lawal, had completed her Higher National Diploma but had failed to present any serious marriage proposal despite attracting several admirers. The complainant urged the court to direct his daughter to produce a suitable suitor and conduct the marriage, alleging that her mother had turned the children against him. According to him, “She…

A Cross River State High Court sitting in Calabar has sentenced a pastor, Apostle Ubong Bassey Etim, to death by hanging for the murder of his 16-year-old daughter, Deborah Bassey, who had Down syndrome and was allegedly branded a witch before she was killed. Justice Blessing Egwu of High Court No. 11 delivered the judgment after finding the defendant guilty of murder, bringing to a close a case that sparked outrage among child rights advocates and campaigners against witchcraft accusations. The incident occurred on February 15, 2025, at about 4 p.m. at No. 7 Jacob Street, off Eyo Edem, in…

The death toll from the tragic canoe accident in Ringim Local Government Area of Jigawa State has risen to 10 following the recovery of four more bodies, including those of a bride-to-be and a groom-to-be. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the latest victims were recovered on Tuesday from the scene of the accident at Malamawar Yandutse community, where a canoe conveying about 40 passengers, mostly women and children, capsized. The village head of Malamawar Yandutse, Umar Habibu, confirmed the recovery, saying two bodies were found on Monday evening while another two were recovered on Tuesday morning after an intensive search operation.…

Founder of Living Faith Church Worldwide, Bishop David Oyedepo, has said that no government can provide lasting peace for its citizens, insisting that genuine peace can only be found in God. Oyedepo stated this while addressing worshippers during a church service in Warri, Delta State, where he urged Christians not to place their ultimate hope in earthly institutions or material possessions. According to the cleric, while governments have the responsibility of providing security, maintaining law and order, and ensuring good governance, they cannot offer the inner peace that comes from a relationship with God. He said, “No government in the…

The Senate has expanded its ongoing investigation into the Safe Schools Initiative to include the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund, the Universal Basic Education Commission and other key government agencies, as lawmakers intensified efforts to scrutinise education funding and student welfare programmes across the country. The Red Chamber also granted its ad hoc committee investigating the Safe Schools Initiative a three-week extension to conclude its assignment and submit its report. The decision followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the Chairman of the Senate Ad Hoc Committee, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (APC, Abia), during plenary…

A former Assistant Director of the Department of State Services, Dennis Amachree, has claimed that Nigeria’s late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, died from a cardiac arrest during an intimate encounter at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, dismissing years of conspiracy theories surrounding the military ruler’s death. Amachree made the disclosure in his newly released memoir, DSS @40: My Journey Behind the Shield, where he recounted what he described as the events leading to Abacha’s death on June 8, 1998. The retired intelligence officer, who served as Assistant Director of Operations and Intelligence at the Lagos command of the…