Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Some concerned Nigerian journalists have petitioned prominent human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, seeking his legal intervention over the continued detention of four of their colleagues charged under the Cybercrimes Act. The detained journalists — Precious Eze, Olawale Rotimi, Rowland Olonishuwa, and Seun Odunlami — have been in custody at the Ikoyi Correctional Facility since September 2024. Their detention followed investigative reports alleging fraudulent activities involving Guaranty Trust Bank (GTCO) and its Group Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Segun Agbaje. In a letter titled “Urgent Appeal for Legal Intervention: Unjust Detention of Four Journalists” and signed by Oluwaseun Faleye (Seunmanuel) and…

The Ikoyi Marriage Registry has been thrust into a fresh corruption scandal following allegations of certificate forgery, as multiple women lay claim to the estate of a deceased Nigerian businessman, Mr. Monday Akpoviroro Ovuede. At the heart of the controversy is an intricate network of officials allegedly involved in racketeering, enabling fraudulent procurement of marriage certificates to manipulate legal inheritance processes. The case, which highlights systemic corruption within the registry and the Citizenship Office under the Ministry of Interior, came to light after Mrs. Jennifer Ovuede, the widow of the late businessman, petitioned the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo. Her…

President Bola Tinubu has reiterated his commitment to advancing the infrastructure legacy of his predecessor, former President Muhammadu Buhari, describing his leadership as a source of inspiration for Nigeria’s continued progress. In a personally signed statement released by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu extended heartfelt birthday wishes to Buhari on the occasion of his 82nd birthday, commending his years of dedicated service to the nation. “As you celebrate this remarkable milestone in Daura, we reflect on your years of dedicated service and leadership, which have significantly shaped the course of our nation,” Tinubu stated. Highlighting…

Human rights activist, Olamide Thomas, has filed a lawsuit against the Nigeria Police Force for allegedly violating her fundamental rights through unlawful arrest and detention. The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Abuja on December 17, 2024, with case number FHC/ABJ/CS, names the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, the Nigeria Police Force, and the Commissioner of Police, National Cybercrime Center, as the 1st to 3rd respondents, respectively. Thomas, through her legal team comprising Dr. S. M. Oyeghe, Inibehe Effiong, and Abubakar Marshall, is seeking a declaration that her arrest and detention since December 13, 2024, allegedly over…

The Edo State House of Assembly has suspended all 18 local government council chairmen in the state over allegations of insubordination and gross misconduct. The suspension, announced during plenary on Tuesday, followed a petition by Governor Monday Okpebholo, who accused the council chairmen of refusing to submit financial statements of their respective councils to the state government. The House has directed the leaders of the legislature in the affected councils to take over administration for the next two months. The motion for the suspension was moved by Isibor Addeh, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member representing Esan North-East I, and…

A Community Development Non-Governmental Organisation has lent his voice to the commendations pouring in for the development oriented Senator representing Ogun West Senatorial District over the unprecedented development initiatives across Ogun West and especially the ongoing rehabilitation works that commenced on the abandoned Abeokuta-Ayetoro-Imeko road. The Executive Secretary of the NGO, Mr. Kabir Olaleye reiterated that the road has been a nightmare to travellers over the years, no thanks to the gullies and damaged portions of the road that stretched from Abeokuta end, through Olorunda-Ayetoro junction down to Imeko. Despite many appeals made to previous administrations at both the Federal…

The Delta State Police Command has arrested a nursing mother, Blessing Ibuku, for allegedly throwing her 10-month-old baby, Prevail Jonathan, into a river, leading to the child’s death. The State Commissioner of Police, Abaniwonda Olufemi, disclosed this during a press briefing on Tuesday in Asaba, stating that the incident occurred on November 31, 2024. Olufemi explained that a report of a missing 10-month-old child was lodged at the police station on December 4, 2024. While the police were investigating the case, they received information about a child’s body floating in the river at the Aviara community. The police recovered the…

The Egba Traditional Council has suspended the Olu of Obafemi, Oba Taofeek Owolabi, for six months following allegations of land grabbing brought against him by a community association in Ogun State. In a letter dated December 13, 2024, signed by the Alake of Egbaland and President of the Egba Traditional Council, Oba Adedotun A. Gbadebo, the council cited Oba Owolabi’s failure to honor invitations by both the Ogun State House of Assembly and the council’s Ethical Committee. The suspended Oba has on October  arraigned  before a Magistrate Court sitting in the Owode-Egba area of the state for allegedly defrauding one…

Wale Edun, minister of finance and coordinating minister for the economy, on Monday, said the N13 trillion deficit in the N48 trillion 2025 budget would be financed through borrowing. The minister said this while briefing State House Correspondents after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The total projected revenue for 2025 stands at N34,820,000,000,000, out of which the expenditure is projected at 47,960,000,000,000, which is an increase of 36.8 per cent from the 2024 estimate. The deficit for 2025 is projected at 13,140,000,000,000, representing 3.89 per cent of GDP. Mr Edun said the budget was…

The National Association of Public Health Practitioners of Nigeria (NAPHPN) has accused the Environmental Health Council of Nigeria (EHCON) of gross overreach, misuse of power, and intimidation, urging President Bola Tinubu to intervene and restore order between the two professional bodies. Addressing a press conference held  in Abeokuta,  the National Vice president  of the association, Akinwunmi Samuel, alongside the Assistant Secretary, Mrs. Adeogun Adedoyin, and the Public Relations Officer, Mr. Ajibola Olarenwaju, highlighted a series of alleged infractions by EHCON, including encroaching on public health functions under the Federal Ministry of Health, manipulation of educational curricula, and the intimidation of…