Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A Nigerian soldier attached to Operation Delta Safe in Bayelsa State has been arrested by the police alongside a civilian over allegations of armed robbery and car theft. The suspects were reportedly apprehended while attempting to transport a stolen Toyota Hilux vehicle from Lagos to a location in the South-South region of the country. Sources said that the soldier, whose identity has not yet been officially released, allegedly connived with the civilian accomplice to steal the vehicle in Lagos. To avoid detection at security checkpoints during the journey, the soldier reportedly accompanied the civilian to facilitate clearance, leveraging his military…

A 77-year-old Nigerian-born Uber driver, Olatunji W. Bolaji, has been shot dead in an ambush while picking up a passenger outside a hookah bar in Philadelphia, United States. Bolaji, who resided in Norristown, Pennsylvania, was attacked around 1:56 a.m. on Wednesday, April 15, near the Byblos Hookah Lounge, according to CBS News. Philadelphia Police said Bolaji had just arrived at the lounge to pick up a 22-year-old male passenger when two gunmen emerged from a car parked behind his vehicle and opened fire. Philadelphia Chief Inspector Scott Small said the suspects fired “at least four times,” hitting Bolaji in the…

Former Special Adviser on Political Matters to Vice President Kashim Shettima, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has declared that the North will publicly announce its political direction ahead of the 2027 general elections within the next six months. Baba-Ahmed, a prominent figure in the Northern Elders Forum, made the disclosure in a viral video circulating on social media, where he warned of potential political consequences if the grievances of the North continue to be ignored. “The North will stand to defend herself, I swear to God,” he said, urging northerners to remain united and avoid internal divisions. “The North should be very…

Feyisayo Ogunbiyi At least 20 local governments in Lagos State shared a staggering N77.9bn in allocations within the first two months of 2025, with each council receiving no less than N1bn during the period, a recent investigation by PLATFORM TIMES has revealed. According to the report, Alimosho Local Government, Nigeria’s most populous LG, topped the chart with the highest cumulative allocation of N5.36bn, receiving N2.31bn in January and N2.88bn in February. Closely following was Ajeromi-Ifelodun, which received N5.36bn—N2.01bn in January and N2.31bn in February—while Oshodi-Isolo got N4.17bn in total over the two months. Other LGs with high allocations include Ojo…

Balqees Adeniji No fewer than 30 local government areas in Osun State shared a staggering ₦21,942,573,033.00 in allocations for the months of January and February 2025, findings by PLATFORM TIMES have revealed. The breakdown of the allocation, obtained by the newspaper, showed that Ife East Local Government received the lion’s share of the disbursement, with a total of ₦904,692,271.16, followed by Iwo with ₦888,463,339.88, and Odo Otin, which got ₦867,215,422.24. Others in the top bracket include Ife North (₦842,535,568.67) and Ife Central (₦830,222,351.30). The list continued with Aiyedaade which got ₦819,606,791.57, while Osogbo received ₦814,145,168.00, Oriade, shared ₦812,496,842.03, Irewole collected…

Juggling books and leadership is a tough balancing act for many undergraduates, but for Samuel Sodunke Sunday, it became a path to personal excellence. Graduating with a CGPA of 4.62 in English and Literary Studies from the Federal University, Oye-Ekiti, he not only earned first-class honours but also left an imprint through his tutorial initiative and spiritual leadership. In this interview with KOREDE BADMUS, Sodunke shares how faith, discipline, and service shaped his success story — and why students must prepare for more than academic triumphs. Can we meet you? I’m Samuel Sunday Sodunke, a recent graduate of English…

A newly-emerged terror group known as Mahmuda has launched a fresh attack on Duruma village (Karonji) in the Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, sparking tension and fear among residents. The attack, which occurred on Friday evening, saw the militants arrive on motorcycles and begin shooting indiscriminately, sources confirmed. During the attack, the terrorists reportedly set fire to a vehicle and several motorcycles belonging to the local vigilante group. However, the vigilantes were able to repel the attack, killing two of the assailants in the process. “This was what the Mahmuda boys did yesterday. They burnt our vigilantes’ vehicles,…

Nigeria’s imports from China more than doubled in 2024, hitting N14.15tn, up from N6.6tn in 2023, according to new figures released by the National Bureau of Statistics. The data, captured in the NBS’s latest Foreign Trade Statistics report, showed a 114.3 per cent rise year-on-year, reinforcing China’s position as Nigeria’s largest import trading partner. On the export side, Nigeria’s goods shipped to China rose to N2.99tn in 2024, up from N891.38bn in the previous year, representing a 236 per cent increase. Despite this growth, China ranked seventh among Nigeria’s top export destinations, reflecting a continued trade imbalance. Overall, bilateral trade…

A former Governor of Ogun State and senator, Ibikunle Amosun, has condemned the renewed violence in Plateau State, describing the killings as senseless and a tragic setback to Nigeria’s quest for unity and peaceful coexistence. Amosun also decried the activities of terrorist groups such as Boko Haram and Lakurawa in Nigeria, and ISIS and Al-Qaeda abroad, insisting that their actions grossly misrepresent the true teachings of Islam. He made the remarks on Saturday while delivering a speech during a merit award ceremony at the 11th Triennial National Conference and 101st Anniversary of the Ansar-ud-Deen Society of Nigeria held in Abeokuta,…

Tragedy struck in the Olobe Farm area of Igbajo, Osun State, on Friday, as a farmer, Mr Abideen Olabiyi, was killed by a swarm of bees, leaving two others critically injured. The deceased and the two victims—identified as Mr Solomon Kingsley and Chief Olusegun Alalade—were said to have gone to the farm when they were suddenly attacked by the swarm. The incident was confirmed in a situation report by the Otan Ayegbaju Police Division, obtained on Saturday. According to the report, the three men, all from the Alalade compound in Ada, were on the farm when the bees descended on…