Author: Platform Times Newspaper

 Vice President Kashim Shettima has reiterated his unwavering commitment to usher former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, into a tranquil retirement from the political arena. Shettima emphasized that his aim was not to retire Atiku to Dubai, as previously implied by political discourse, but rather to the serene Nigerian locale of Kombina.  In a move that blends humor with political rivalry, Shettima has pledged to provide Atiku with an unconventional retirement package – goats, broilers, and layers – effectively inviting him to embark on a new chapter as a livestock farmer.…

The former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has firmly denied issuing any statement congratulating President Bola Tinubu following the election petition tribunal’s outcome in Abuja.  He also dismissed suggestions that he was entering political retirement, emphasizing his commitment to the ongoing political battle. Addressing the media at a press conference in Abuja, Atiku Abubakar refuted the purported statement allegedly attributed to him, congratulating Tinubu on the tribunal’s judgment.  His Media Adviser, Mr. Paul Ibe, categorically labeled it as “fake news” orchestrated by those desperately seeking validation for what he called the usurpation of the Nigerian people’s mandate. Furthermore, Atiku…

A harrowing incident has come to light as a 37-year-old man stands accused of brutally killing his 100-year-old grandmother with an axe while she was seated in a wheelchair.  The chilling crime has led to the arraignment of the suspect in the northern German city of Hamburg on charges of homicide. The prosecuting lawyer presented a disturbing account to the court, alleging that the German man, originally from Estonia, carried out the vicious attack on the elderly woman within her Hamburg residence during the early hours of March 6. The victim, who was afflicted by dementia, endured a horrifying assault,…

Kafanchan, Kaduna State – An Upper Customary Court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, has handed down a two-year prison sentence to 20-year-old James Monday, an ex-convict, for stealing a television set.  Monday was charged by the police for trespassing into a house and theft, in violation of sections 327 and 270 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law. The case was brought to light on September 3 when the complainant, Ezekiel Danladi, reported the incident to the police.  According to Police Prosecutor Insp. Esther Bishen, Monday was apprehended after unlawfully entering Danladi’s residence in Ungwan VIO, Kafanchan, and making off with…

A man named Kefas Joshua has been sentenced to one year in prison by the Upper Customary Court in Kafanchan, Kaduna State, following his conviction for the theft of a he-goat.  The police had charged Joshua with criminal trespass and theft, in violation of sections 327 and 270 of the Kaduna State Penal Code Law. The presiding judge, Mr. George Gwani, imposed a six-month prison term on Joshua for criminal trespass but offered him the alternative of paying a fine of N5,000.  Additionally, for the theft conviction, Joshua was handed a one-year prison sentence, with the option to pay a…

In a recent report unveiled by the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF), it was disclosed that Nigeria has suffered a staggering economic loss of $100 billion over a span of 13 years due to the ongoing insurgency in the northeastern states of Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe. The comprehensive report, released in Abuja, exposes the profound economic devastation inflicted by the persistent armed conflict in Northeast Nigeria.  According to the findings, as of 2021, the Nigerian economy had contracted by 2.5 percent, leaving it smaller than it would have been in the absence of this protracted conflict, resulting in a cumulative…

In a display of unwavering confidence in the strength and potential of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Limited, the company’s directors have taken decisive action by acquiring additional shares worth N514 million. On August 31, 2023, four key directors, including Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Yemi Odubiyi, engaged in insider dealings that resulted in the acquisition of a substantial 155,837,316 ordinary shares of the company from the secondary market of the NGX Ltd. These shares were purchased at a unit price of N3.30, totaling N514,263,142.8. Abubakar Suleiman, a Non-Executive Director of Sterling Financial Holdings Company Limited, led the charge…

Tragedy was narrowly averted on Tuesday as five individuals narrowly escaped death on Ureje River in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State. The river overflowed its banks along Federal Polytechnic Road, Ado Ekiti, causing extensive damage to nearby structures. The five individuals were reportedly traveling from the Ureje area when they encountered the heavily flooded bridge. Their attempts to cross the bridge were thwarted as they were swept away by the fast-flowing water, which carried them into the river’s valley. An eyewitness in Ado Ekiti recounted the incident, stating that the victims, in danger of drowning, were fortunate to be rescued by…

The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, has highlighted that Nigeria’s public spending is among the lowest worldwide.  He made this observation during his keynote address at the annual banking and finance conference held in Abuja on Tuesday. Chaudhuri’s presentation underscored that “Nigeria’s government expenditures are the lowest globally,” and he emphasized that public spending at both the federal and subnational levels in Nigeria has been notably low. Furthermore, Chaudhuri’s presentation revealed a staggering disparity in capital spending, stating, “At the current rate of capital spending, it would take 300 years to close Nigeria’s infrastructure gap.” Comparatively, Nigeria’s…

The Acting Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Folashodun Shonubi, has announced that the apex bank is committed to clearing all foreign exchange backlogs within the next two weeks. Shonubi revealed this during a discussion in Lagos, where he emphasized the CBN’s collaboration with commercial banks to address the challenge of FX backlogs, which some analysts estimate to be around $10 billion. “The banks have been working with the central bank on various structures to clear the backlog. As a matter of fact, there’s a large amount of the obligations that the banks have already taken up so…