Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Says Middle East Crisis Could Worsen Fuel, Transport Costs …Tasks Govs With Implementing Citizen-Focused Interventions Daud Olatunji President Bola Tinubu has warned state governors that the ongoing crisis in the Middle East could trigger a fresh wave of inflation in Nigeria, urging them to roll out additional incentives to cushion the impact on citizens. Tinubu gave the warning on Sunday while hosting Vice-President Kashim Shettima and 23 state governors at his Lagos residence during the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations. The President said escalating tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran were already posing risks to global energy prices, with potential ripple…

No fewer than nine aspirants under the Peoples Democratic Party have stepped forward in the race to succeed Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, ahead of the 2027 governorship election, as a high-level advisory council begins consultations to shape the party’s choice. It was gathered  that the council, chaired by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Bolaji Ayorinde, has commenced a series of engagements with aspirants in what insiders described as a strategic move to ensure transparency and inclusiveness in the emergence of the party’s flag bearer. The initiative, backed by Makinde, is aimed at giving all interested contenders a level playing field…

The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has formally submitted its position on the proposed establishment of state police to the National Security Adviser, paving the way for legislative consideration by the National Assembly. The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, disclosed this after a meeting with President Bola Tinubu at his Ikoyi residence in Lagos. He said the document, developed in collaboration with key security stakeholders, would form part of the framework to guide the creation of state police across the country. AbdulRazaq noted that deliberations on the initiative were being coordinated by the National Security Adviser,…

Troops of Operation Hadin Kai have arrested two suspected informants linked to the terrorist group Boko Haram in Borno State. The suspects were apprehended in the Mainok area of Kaga Local Government Area during an early morning operation on March 18, 2026, following credible intelligence on the movement of suspected collaborators within the community. Security sources said that the troops, drawn from the 156 Task Force Battalion, acted swiftly on information provided by local informants, leading to the arrest of the two civilians at about 3am. “During the operation, two civilians suspected to be informants for Boko Haram were apprehended,”…

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested a suspected officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and two other persons over alleged involvement in armed robbery and cult-related activities in Ogidi, Idemili North Local Government Area of the state. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday in Awka, noting that the arrests followed a targeted operation based on credible intelligence. Ikenga said operatives of the Rapid Response Squad, Awkuzu, stormed a suspected criminal hideout in Ogidi on March 21 at about 1:46 p.m., leading to the…

No fewer than 150 suspected bandits have reportedly drowned following a boat accident in Sokoto State, sparking fresh concerns over criminal movements across waterways in the North-West. The incident was said to have occurred on Saturday evening in the Sabon Gida area when a boat conveying a large number of armed men capsized while crossing a river. A counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, Zagazola Makama, disclosed the development in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday. According to him, the victims, believed to be bandits, were travelling in large numbers when the vessel suddenly overturned, throwing all…

The lawmaker representing Ijebu North State Constituency I in the Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Rasheed Kashamu, has distributed food items and cash gifts to thousands of residents in Ijebu Igbo as part of activities marking the Eid-el-Fitr celebration. The outreach, held at the Kashamu family compound in Egbe Subaru, Oke Sopen area of Ijebu Igbo, attracted a large crowd of beneficiaries drawn from across the constituency. Many of the recipients, who spoke during the event, described the gesture as timely, noting that it would go a long way in cushioning the effect of the current economic hardship. Addressing…

The lawmaker representing Yewa North/Imeko-Afon Federal Constituency in Ogun State, Gboyega Nasir Isiaka, on Sunday dismissed claims that he was being pressured by political associates to join the 2027 governorship race, insisting that his ambition is self-driven. Isiaka, a three-time governorship candidate and Chairman, House Committee on National Planning and Economic Development, spoke during a media briefing in Abeokuta. The former governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress in 2019 said it would be unfair to suggest that he was being pushed into the race, given his long-standing involvement in the state’s political landscape. “After running elections three times, including…

Members of the All Progressives Congress in Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have endorsed the lawmaker representing the constituency in the State House of Assembly, Damilola Soneye, for continuity  ahead of the 2027 elections. The endorsement was announced on Sunday during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Ofada Ward, where party leaders, elders and grassroots mobilisers from the 12 wards converged to assess the lawmaker’s performance. Speakers at the gathering commended Soneye for what they described as impactful representation, citing projects in infrastructure, community engagement and inclusive governance across the constituency. They maintained that his interventions had improved…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has issued a seven-day ultimatum to Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, demanding the public disclosure of officials allegedly implicated in the reported missing ₦200tn from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited. SERAP, in a letter dated March 21, 2026, urged Akpabio to direct the Senate Public Accounts Committee to immediately publish the names and designations of all those linked to the alleged financial discrepancies, regardless of their political or social standing. The group also called for the full disclosure of details surrounding the ongoing probe, including audit reports, financial records, official correspondence, and timelines for…