Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited recorded a sharp decline in its statutory remittances to the Federal Government in January 2026, dropping by 42.83 per cent to N726bn. This was disclosed in the company’s Monthly Report Summary for January 2026, released on Monday. Statutory payments are mandatory financial obligations the national oil firm remits to the Federal Government monthly. According to the report, the N726bn remitted in January represents a significant fall from the N1.27tn paid in December 2025. The report also showed that the company’s revenue plunged by 46.68 per cent to N2.57tn in January, compared to N4.82tn recorded…

A commanding officer of the Nigerian Army has been killed following a deadly attack by suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province on a military formation in Kukawa, Borno State. Sources familiar with the incident said the insurgents stormed the military base, triggering a fierce gun battle between the troops and the attackers. Security sources quoted by a counter-insurgency publication covering the Lake Chad region disclosed that the clash resulted in casualties on both sides as soldiers engaged the insurgents in a prolonged firefight. According to the report, blood stains were discovered outside the camp after the attack,…

The Apena of Egbaland, Chief Suarau Olayiwola Alani Bankole, has dismissed widespread claims that the Ogboni institution is an occult society, explaining that it is historically a traditional council of elders responsible for governance in the Yoruba traditional administrative system. Chief Bankole, who is also the Grand Patron of the Ogun State chapter of the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters’ Association of Nigeria, made the clarification on Monday while receiving the newly inaugurated executive committee of Ogun FIBAN at his Onikolobo residence in Abeokuta. According to him, the misconception surrounding the Ogboni institution stems from years of misinterpretation of the Yoruba…

Aishah Waliyullah and Grace Adeleke Nigerians have taken to social media to express anger, disbelief and cautious defence following reports that the Dangote Refinery has increased the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) to about ₦1,175 per litre. The development, which surfaced online over the weekend, triggered widespread debate among citizens who fear the increase could worsen the already rising cost of living across the country. Many Nigerians said they had expected the refinery—widely regarded as Africa’s largest—to help bring down fuel prices and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imported refined petroleum products. Reacting to the development, several social media…

Fawaz Adebisi A federal appellate court has upheld the conviction and prison sentence of a retired Nigerian Army general, Umar Mohammed. Umar was found guilty of stealing and misappropriating hundreds of millions of naira and millions of dollars belonging to a military-owned property company. The Court of Appeal, on Monday, in a unanimous decision by a three-member panel comprising Justices Abba Mohammed, Okon Abang, and Eberechi Nyesom, dismissed the appeal filed by Maj.-Gen. Mohammed, former Group Managing Director of Nigerian Army Properties Limited, NAPL, affirming both his conviction and the sentence handed down by a Special Court Martial in 2023.…

Uthman Ogunfolaji The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has arraigned four individuals before the Lagos State High Court in Ikeja over alleged fraud and theft amounting to more than N95 million. The suspects Adetunji Mathew, Victor Damilare Olaomo, Douglas Agorom Ikwugwu, and Arowolo Adeniyi Abiodun — were brought before two different judges by the EFCC’s Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 on charges bordering on conspiracy, stealing, and retention of proceeds of crime. Matthew and Olaomo were charged before Justice O.A Okunuga of Lagos state high Court on a five-count charge related to conspiracy to commit felony and alleged theft of…

By Maryam Ogunremi On Thursday, while doing laundry, I removed my bedspread for a change and to clean it. I do this frequently to ensure my skin does not come in contact with residual germs on a dirty bedspread. I mean, the economy is hard enough for one to survive and adding medical bills or skin care extra expenses to it, would be an overkill. So, I detached it from the mattress, took some time to do the laundry since I can’t afford a washing machine yet. Like I said earlier, the current economic situation of Nigeria has its perks.…

..Committee Dismisses Ojulari’s Explanation As Inadequate … Kyari, Former Officials To Appear Before Lawmakers Daud Olatunji The Senate Committee on Public Accounts has expressed dissatisfaction with explanations offered by the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited over alleged ₦210 trillion discrepancies discovered in the company’s financial records. Chairman of the committee, Senator Aliyu Wadada, said the clarifications provided by the NNPCL management led by its Group Chief Executive Officer, Bayo Ojulari, failed to adequately justify the financial entries flagged during the review of the company’s audited accounts from 2017 to 2023. Wadada, who represents Nasarawa West Senatorial District,…

The Federal Government spent N27.2tn on debt servicing between 2024 and 2025, underscoring the growing pressure of rising public debt on Nigeria’s finances, a media brief from the Federal Ministry of Finance has revealed. The document, obtained on Sunday, showed that the amount spent on servicing debts within the two-year period exceeded capital expenditure by about N3.9tn, raising fresh concerns about the country’s shrinking fiscal space. According to the brief prepared by the Special Adviser to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy on Media and Communications, Dr Ogho Okiti, the surge in debt servicing costs was…

Teenage pregnancy remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria, with Kebbi, Zamfara and Kaduna states recording the highest prevalence rates among girls aged 15 to 19, a new national health report has revealed. The 2025 State of Health of the Nation Report, released on Sunday in Abuja, showed that 32 per cent of girls aged 15–19 in Kebbi State have been pregnant, the highest in the country. The report indicated that Zamfara and Kaduna states followed closely with 30 per cent each, while Lagos and Edo states recorded the lowest rates at about three per cent. The findings were…