Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has ramped up its crude oil processing capacity to 700,000 barrels per day (bpd) during a performance test, exceeding its installed nameplate capacity of 650,000bpd and reinforcing its status as a major force in Africa’s energy sector. The milestone, confirmed by process licensors, signals improved operational efficiency and engineering resilience at the facility, widely regarded as the world’s largest single-train petroleum refinery. The Vice-President, Oil and Gas at Dangote Industries Limited, Devakumar Edwin, said the development forms part of a broader plan to scale up refining capacity to 1.4 million bpd within the next 30 months. Edwin…

…Warns Of Deep Learning Crisis In Schools Daud Olatunji Nigeria’s education system is grappling with a deepening learning and access crisis, as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has warned that only one in four schoolchildren in the country can read properly and perform basic mathematics at the age of 14. UNICEF also raised concern that more than 20 million Nigerian children are currently out of school, describing the situation as one of the worst education exclusion crises globally, with Nigeria accounting for about 15 per cent of the world’s out-of-school population. The concerns were raised on Wednesday during a…

The Court of Appeal sitting in Makurdi, Benue State, on Tuesday sacked the Chief Benjamin Omale-led caretaker committee of the All Progressives Congress in the state, affirming the legitimacy of the Comrade Austin Agada-led executive committee. The appellate court, in Appeal No. CA/MKD/119/2024, also upheld the earlier judgment of the Makurdi High Court which nullified the dissolution of the Agada-led state executive by the party’s National Working Committee (NWC), describing the move as unlawful. Delivering the lead judgment, the Presiding Justice resolved all issues raised in the appeal against the appellant, effectively reinstating the Agada-led leadership as the valid executive…

… April, May, June Incidents Spark Panic In Ijebu-Ode … Students, Teachers Hospitalised As Cause Remains Unknown … Parents Demand Urgent Govt Action Daud Olatunji A disturbing pattern of mysterious gas emissions has thrown schools in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, into repeated crises, with about  200 students and teachers affected in three separate incidents within 64 days, raising concerns over a looming environmental and public health emergency. The latest incident occurred on Wednesday, June 3, at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, where students and members of staff reportedly suffered breathing difficulties and other health complications after perceiving a strange chemical…

… Alleges possible political, economic motives The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has called for a comprehensive investigation into claims that recent kidnapping incidents in Oyo State may be politically motivated, warning that insecurity in the South-West has assumed a more complex and dangerous dimension. The group, which raised fresh concerns over escalating attacks across the region, said security agencies must probe allegations made by former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, that kidnappings in Oyo could be aimed at undermining the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, who spoke during a current affairs programme on…

A tragic incident has claimed the life of a 45-year-old man, Yusuf Usman, who fell into an abandoned well while attempting to recover his mobile phone in Kwa Town, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday, has thrown the community into mourning as residents grapple with yet another avoidable death linked to unsafe open wells. Confirming the development, the Kano State Fire Service said it received a distress call at about 11:13 a.m. and immediately deployed its emergency response team to the scene. According to the spokesperson of the service, ACFO Saminu Yusif…

Chairman and Group Chief Executive Officer of Courteville Business Solutions Limited, Dr. Adebola Ismail Akindele, has said Ogun State can only achieve sustainable development if it adopts the governance structure and long-term planning model that has driven Lagos State’s growth over the years. Akindele made the assertion on Wednesday while delivering the 4th Faculty of Social Sciences Open Lecture of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, titled “Politics and Governance in Nigeria: The Leadership Question.” He said the consistent developmental progress recorded in Lagos State was not accidental but a result of institutional continuity, structured planning, and adherence to a long-term development…

A 50-year-old woman identified as a suspected member of Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) has surrendered to troops of the Nigerian military after escaping from a terrorist enclave in the Mandara Mountains in Borno State. Security sources confirmed that the woman, named Ghwa’a Biwa, turned herself in to troops of the 192 Battalion (Mechanised) under the ongoing counter-insurgency campaign of Operation Hadin Kai, deployed in Gwoza Local Government Area of the state. According to military intelligence and counter-insurgency analyst Zagazola Makama, the suspect escaped from a hideout controlled by a terrorist commander identified as Wa’a before…

Gunmen on Wednesday abducted the sister of a former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, alongside her two children in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. The victims were identified as Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul and her 12-year-old twin sons, Peter and Paul. The incident was said to have occurred at about 7:30 a.m. in the Challenge area of Ibadan South-West Local Government Area while the victims were on their way to school. A statement issued by Adelabu’s media aide, Femi Awogboro, confirmed that the victims were forcefully taken by armed men. According to the statement, “Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul,…

Residents of Ijebu-Ode were thrown into fresh panic on Wednesday after a strange and offensive odour reportedly resurfaced at Our Lady of Apostles Secondary School, leaving several students and staff members hospitalised. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred during school hours, when both students and teachers suddenly perceived a pungent smell that triggered discomfort, breathing difficulties and widespread panic within the school premises. Eyewitnesses said some affected students and staff were immediately rushed to General Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, where they received urgent medical attention. The latest episode has heightened anxiety among parents and residents, particularly as it is not the…