Author: Platform Times Newspaper

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…

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, has disclosed that Nigeria allocated over $16 billion to defence and security between 2008 and 2018, representing more than 10 percent of the federal budget within that period. Abbas made the revelation on Monday during a workshop in Abuja for security-based committees on “Non-Kinetic Strategies and Terrorism in Nigeria”. He canvassed a growing need to adopt cost-effective and sustainable approaches. “In 2020, the total budget for security accounted for 16.8 percent of the $27.9 billion budget. “This year, N3.25 trillion has been allocated to the defence and security sector, representing 12…

Daud Olatunji The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) has revealed that over 50,000 inmates are currently awaiting trial across the country’s correctional centres, with 3,569 others languishing on death row. Spokesman of the NCoS, Umar Abubakar, disclosed this during an interview with The Punch, extracted by PLATFORM TIMES, highlighting the severe overcrowding in Nigerian prisons. According to Abubakar, a total of 80,000 inmates occupy facilities originally designed to accommodate just 50,000, leading to systemic challenges in the correctional system. He lamented the slow dispensation of justice as a major contributor to the overcrowding, stating, “As I speak to you, the inmate…

A man identified as Sunday Bidemi has been arrested by Police operatives attached to the Masaka Division in Nasarawa State for car theft, following a tip-off. According to a statement released on Monday by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Ramhan Nansel, officers recovered a Toyota Corolla with registration number ABJ 730 KE during the operation. Nansel stated that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect absconded with the vehicle in October 2024. He revealed that the car belongs to Barr. Wilson Egwun of Wuse II, Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja. “Preliminary investigation revealed that the suspect absconded with the…

The Edo State Police Command has apprehended a 34-year-old man, Enabulele Aibuedefe, for allegedly raising a false kidnap alarm on the social media platform, X (formerly Twitter). In a statement issued on Monday, the Command’s spokesperson, SP Moses Joel Yamu, condemned the spread of fake news and disinformation, urging residents to desist from such acts. According to the statement, Aibuedefe, using the handle @edoboy2024, falsely claimed that police officers in Benin City had “kidnapped” two boys and were demanding N2 million for their release. He further warned youths to avoid the Ekenwan Slope area of the city, causing widespread panic…