Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Yusroh Lawal  As political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections, a prominent Egba leader and Convener of the United Premier Movement (UPM), Chief Olalekan Shoyinka, has called on stakeholders from Ogun Central Senatorial District to put aside sentiments and unite behind a credible, proven candidate for the governorship race. Shoyinka, in a statement titled “2027: A Clarion Call to Our Leaders and People in Egbaland”, warned against relying on sectional sentiments such as the trending “Awa Lokan” slogan, stressing that history shows that no past governor of Ogun State emerged purely on the basis of regional…

Daud Olatunji  The Ogun State chapter of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has raised the alarm over what it described as a growing pattern of aggression, provocation, and institutional sabotage targeted at doctors by some senior nursing personnel at the Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Aro, Abeokuta. Speaking at a press conference in Abeokuta on Wednesday, the NMA Chairman, Dr. Luqman Ogunjimi, vowed that the association would no longer remain silent in the face of persistent harassment and blackmail of medical doctors in the state, warning that legal action would be taken if the attacks continue. Ogunjimi, who addressed journalists alongside the association’s…

Tragedy struck on Tuesday afternoon in Dandalama village, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State, as a 17-year-old boy, Lurwanu Suleiman, drowned in an open body of water. The Kano State Fire Service confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Public Relations Officer, Saminu Abdullahi. According to the statement, the agency received an emergency call from a resident, Malam Aminu Dandalama, at exactly 12:54 p.m., prompting the immediate deployment of a rescue team to the scene. “Our men arrived at the location at about 1:25 p.m., and sadly, the victim was recovered dead from the…

…Says over 260 others ongoing The Federal Government says it has successfully completed 135 road projects across the northern region as part of its nationwide infrastructure development programme. Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali, made this known during a two-day interactive session hosted by the Ahmadu Bello Foundation on Wednesday. Alkali, represented by the Director of Public Relations at the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Suleiman Haruna, disclosed that 266 additional road construction projects are currently ongoing in the North, while 312 road maintenance works have also been completed. The minister added that the government’s commitment to critical infrastructure goes…

…NAPTIP Rescues 25,642 Victims, Secures 750 Convictions The Federal Government has raised alarm over the alarming profitability of human trafficking, revealing that traffickers globally rake in a staggering $245 billion annually from sexual exploitation and forced labour. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), who made the revelation on Wednesday in Abuja, described the trade as a sophisticated, highly profitable and deeply entrenched criminal enterprise that threatens Nigeria’s national security and human capital development. Quoting the 2023 report of the International Labour Organisation (ILO), Fagbemi disclosed that $169.9 billion is generated from sexual exploitation alone, while…

…SEMA Blames Politics, Denies Food Shortage claim Hundreds of internally displaced persons (IDPs) on Tuesday took to the streets in Benue State, barricading the Makurdi–Lafia expressway to protest what they described as prolonged hunger and abandonment by the government. The demonstrators, mostly women and children from the Maga IDP camp in Mbayongo, on the outskirts of Makurdi, halted traffic along the busy route for hours, demanding urgent intervention. Holding tree branches and chanting slogans like “We are hungry” and “We want to go back home,” the IDPs accused the government of failing to meet their basic needs. The protest came…

No fewer than eight buildings collapsed on Wednesday following a torrential downpour that wreaked havoc across Maiduguri Metropolis and Jere Local Government Area of Borno State. The Borno State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement, disclosing that several communities, including Gomari, Bulumkutu, Jidari, and ITE, were severely affected by flooding that followed the prolonged rainfall. While no lives were lost, the destruction of property has left many residents displaced and vulnerable. Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Kenneth Daso, said the Command immediately dispatched officers to assess the damage, maintain law and order, and prevent possible looting of abandoned…

The Managing Director of the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA), Engr. Dr. Adedeji Ashiru, has marked his one-year anniversary in office with a rollout of key achievements in flood control, agriculture, water supply, and energy restoration across the Authority’s seven-state operational zone. Dr. Ashiru, who was appointed by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 22, 2024, officially assumed office on June 10, 2024. His tenure, coinciding with renewed federal budgetary backing, has seen a strategic return to the Authority’s core mandates: flood mitigation, irrigation and water management, and hydropower development. A flagship achievement under his leadership is the ongoing…

Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia of Benue State has dissolved the State Executive Council, relieving all commissioners and his chief of staff of their duties with immediate effect. The governor made the announcement on Wednesday at the conclusion of the 12th State Executive Council meeting held in Makurdi, the state capital. The development was confirmed in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula. According to Kula, Governor Alia directed all outgoing commissioners to immediately hand over the affairs of their ministries to the respective permanent secretaries. He expressed appreciation for their service over the past two years, adding…

…As CVR Begins August 18 Ahead Of 2026 Governorship Election The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concern over the large number of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in Osun State, revealing that no fewer than 360,794 PVCs remain unclaimed ahead of the 2026 governorship election. Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, made this known on Tuesday, during an interactive session with members of the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Osogbo. Agboke disclosed that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise will commence on August 18, 2025, with the online phase,…