Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…EFCC Records Show No Direct Link To Former President Jonathan Excluded From Questioning In Arms Fund Probe Daud Olatunji Former Acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, has said ex-President Goodluck Jonathan did not authorise the use of the controversial $2.1bn arms procurement funds for electioneering, explaining why the former president was never invited for questioning during investigations into the scandal. Magu disclosed that EFCC records and official documents reviewed by investigators showed that the funds were “not officially approved for campaign purposes,” adding that there was no direct documentary link implicating Jonathan in the approval…

The 2025 Eyo Festival in Lagos was on Saturday overshadowed by violence following incidents involving masquerades and residents, sparking widespread outrage across social media. Videos that went viral showed some Eyo masquerades allegedly assaulting a man during a street procession. In one of the clips, about four men dressed in the traditional white Eyo attire, complete with red hats, were seen repeatedly striking the victim with their staves as he struggled to protect himself. Other masked men were also observed moving towards the scene, apparently to join the attack, while onlookers watched without intervening. In another video sighted online, a…

A traditional ruler in Benue State has raised the alarm over what he described as a sudden influx of armed bandits and herders into communities in the state, following recent airstrikes carried out by the United States military against terrorist enclaves in parts of Northern Nigeria. The Chairman of the Traditional Council in Gwer West Local Government Area, Daniel Abomtse, said the movement of armed men into Benue appeared to be a direct consequence of the US missile attacks, which reportedly dislodged terrorist groups from their hideouts in the North-West. Findings by PLATFORM TIMES indicate that suspected terrorists operating across…

President Bola Tinubu has disclosed that four attack helicopters ordered by the Federal Government from the United States will soon be delivered to Nigeria as efforts intensify to tackle the country’s worsening security challenges. The President made this known on Friday during a meeting with a delegation of the Christian Association of Nigeria, led by its President, Archbishop Daniel Okoh, at his Lagos residence. Tinubu acknowledged that although the helicopters had been ordered, the delivery was taking longer than expected, a delay he said was already shaping public perception about the government’s commitment to addressing insecurity. “Our orders for four…

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has accused Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, of allegedly receiving ₦50 billion from President Bola Tinubu without paying the funds into the state’s treasury, saying the governor failed to disclose the transaction to Nigerians. Fayose made the allegation on Friday during an interview on Television Continental (TVC), where he claimed that the money was given to Makinde as federal support following the deadly explosion that rocked Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, in 2024. According to Fayose, Makinde deliberately omitted the alleged ₦50bn support when he recently briefed journalists on his meeting with President Tinubu,…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has hinted at a renewed political battle in Rivers State ahead of 2026, declaring that political activities would resume in earnest from January next year while insisting that all political agreements must be honoured. Wike’s remarks have further fuelled speculation that the protracted political crisis in Rivers State — and the much-publicised peace deal between him and Governor Siminalayi Fubara — may be far from over, despite repeated assurances of reconciliation. Speaking on Saturday during a briefing with stakeholders from Ahoada East and Ahoada West Local Government Areas, the former Rivers…

The Federal Government has graduated more than 7,000 newly recruited forest guards and ordered their immediate deployment across seven frontline states as part of renewed efforts to combat terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other criminal activities thriving in Nigeria’s forests. The guards, trained under the Presidential Forest Guards Initiative launched by President Bola Tinubu in May 2025, completed an intensive three-month programme coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser. Graduation ceremonies were held simultaneously on Friday in Borno, Sokoto, Yobe, Adamawa, Niger, Kwara and Kebbi states. The initiative is a joint Federal–State security intervention aimed at reclaiming forest reserves…

The Ogun State Police Command on Friday confirmed the arrest of eight individuals allegedly involved in unlawful assembly, obstruction of traffic, and assaults on police officers at Sango-Ota. The suspects, identified as members of a group operating under the name Democratic Republic of the Yoruba, were apprehended following reports of road barricades, bonfires, and public disruption at Temidire Junction and the Sango-Ota under-bridge. Speaking in a statement, the command’s spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, said, “Upon receiving the report, police operatives were immediately mobilised to the affected locations, where they successfully dispersed the group and restored normalcy.” The arrested individuals were named…

… Critics Accuse Gov Misusing Public Funds Amid Infrastructure Decay …PDP Warns Gesture Undermines Local Government Autonomy Daud Olatunji Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has come under intense scrutiny and criticism following his Christmas Day distribution of 20 brand-new 2025 Toyota Corolla Cross SUVs to the state’s local government chairmen. The presentation, which took place in Abeokuta, formed part of the Christmas festivities and drew expressions of appreciation from the council chairmen. Represented by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ganiyu Hamzat, Governor Abiodun said the vehicles were provided to enhance effective governance and service delivery at the…

Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has launched a blistering attack on Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, accusing him of abusing power and crippling the Peoples Democratic Party across the South-West. Fayose alleged that Makinde’s leadership style had fractured the party’s base, driven away loyalists and weakened its structures in the region. Speaking during an interview, monitored by PLATFORM TIMES, the former governor claimed that Makinde had alienated many party members who worked for his emergence as governor. “Almost everybody who laboured for his ascension has been driven away,” Fayose said, accusing Makinde of sidelining party faithful and consolidating power…