Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Despite the government’s push for a cashless society, Nigerians continue to favour physical cash, with the value of currency held outside the banking system rising to N4.6 trillion in March 2025—accounting for an overwhelming 91.9% of the total currency in circulation. This surge marks a 26.7% increase from the previous year and underscores the deep-rooted reliance on cash in an economy where electronic payment alternatives have yet to fully capture trust and usage. The latest figures from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) highlight a stark contrast to the nation’s push for a more digital economy. While the total currency…

In a chilling reminder of Nigeria’s escalating insecurity crisis, two deadly incidents in Zamfara and Kwara states have underscored the widening reach and audacity of non-state actors terrorising rural communities. In Zamfara State, a notorious bandit group has imposed a N60 million levy on 12 communities in Maru Local Government Area, allegedly as retribution for aiding a recent military operation that neutralised several terrorists in the Dan Kurmi forest. The affected communities—Koloma, Dan Hayin Zargado, Zargado, Dan Godabe, Sabuwar Tunga, Makini, Bubaka, Yelwa, Bahwada, Koda, Manya, and Kabusu—were summoned by the armed group under the pretext of brokering peace. Instead,…

Quadri Yusuf Alabi, the young man who gained nationwide attention in 2023 after standing boldly in front of Peter Obi’s campaign convoy, has recounted a chilling tale of police brutality, wrongful imprisonment, and dehumanising treatment while in custody at Kirikiri Prison. Speaking during an emotional interview aired Monday on Channels Television, Alabi revealed he was framed by thugs in his neighbourhood, detained by the Divisional Police Officer of the Amukoko Police Division, and later remanded in prison over allegations of conspiracy and armed robbery. “My duty in prison from morning till night was to clean faeces,” Alabi said, his voice…

Hundreds of Kano residents have been thronging a muddy pool in the Hotoron Arewa area on the outskirts of the city, where water is reportedly seeping from markings believed by locals to be the sacred footprints of Prophet Muhammad. The site, now resembling a spiritual healing ground, has drawn people from within and outside the state—many of them battling illnesses and convinced of the water’s purported healing powers. In a video seen by PLATFORM TIMES, scores of men, women, and children were seen jostling and pushing to access the dirty water. Some scooped it into plastic bottles, others drank directly…

The Manufacturers Association of Nigeria has raised concerns over the rising stockpile of unsold finished goods in 2024, which it said hit N2.14tn amid surging production costs, weak consumer demand, and inflationary pressures. Director-General of MAN, Segun Ajayi-Kadir, disclosed this in the association’s second half 2024 economic review report released on Monday. He noted that the inventory of unsold goods jumped by 87.5 per cent year-on-year, although there was a 27.9 per cent drop compared to the first half of the year. Ajayi-Kadir explained that sectors such as food, beverage and tobacco, as well as textile, apparel and footwear, were…

The Edo State Governor, Monday Okpebholo, has ordered the immediate and indefinite suspension of the Okumagbe of Uwano Kingdom in Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area, Dr George Oshiapi Egabor, over worsening cases of kidnappings and killings in his domain. The directive was contained in a statement on Monday by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Fred Itua, who said the measure was part of efforts to restore peace and security to the troubled area. According to the statement, the decision followed the recent killing of a palace chief, John Ikhamate, and the arrest of the monarch’s secretary, Chief Peter Omiogbemhi,…

Jigawa State Governor, Umar Namadi, has cautioned against the recent call by former Chief of Army Staff, General Theophilus Danjuma (retd.), urging Nigerians to resort to self-defense amidst rising insecurity, warning that such a move could plunge the country into anarchy. Speaking during a live appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme on Monday, Governor Namadi acknowledged Danjuma’s stature as a respected military elder but stressed the dangers inherent in encouraging citizens to take the law into their hands. “He is a very senior security person and should be respected,” Namadi said. “But if he says that citizens should be…

The Nigerian Correctional Service, Kwara State Command, has debunked reports of a jailbreak at any of its custodial facilities, describing the claim as misleading and unfounded. The Command’s Public Relations Officer, CSC Philip Bamigbade, in a statement issued on Monday, said the attention of the service was drawn to a report by an online platform alleging that nine inmates escaped from a custodial centre in the state. “It is therefore imperative to make this clarification to disabuse the minds of the public,” he stated. Bamigbade explained that the facility where the alleged jailbreak occurred is a juvenile custodial centre under…

Hundreds of residents in Jos, the Plateau State capital, on Sunday took to the streets in protest against the incessant killings and kidnappings that have gripped the state, particularly in Bokkos and Bassa local government areas. The peaceful protest, led by Christian leaders under the umbrella of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), was aimed at drawing attention to what they described as “systematic and senseless bloodshed” that has left over 100 people dead in the past two weeks alone. Bearing placards with inscriptions such as ‘Stop the bloodshed’, ‘Every life matters’, ‘Let Plateau live’, and ‘That they do not…

Suspected criminals in the early hours of Monday set ablaze the Ilesa High Court 2 in Osun State, razing the building and destroying vital court documents and exhibits. The incident, which threw the state judiciary into disarray, prompted a swift reaction from the state governor, Ademola Adeleke, who described the act as “an unjustifiable attack on the state judiciary” and “a threat to democracy.” A statement by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, said the fire incident destroyed sensitive materials crucial to ongoing and past court proceedings. According to the statement, the state fire service was mobilised to the scene but…