Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has fixed 10 fresh days to conclude the trial of a former Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele, over alleged corruption linked to the controversial naira redesign exercise. Justice Maryann Anenih, on Wednesday, approved the timeline following an agreement between the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s counsel, Rotimi Oyedepo (SAN), and Emefiele’s lawyer, Olalekan Ojo (SAN). The court scheduled February 3 and 10; April 1 and 2; May 11, 12, 13 and 14; as well as June 9 and 10 for the continuation and conclusion of the trial, which…

The Kano State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old man, Ididiong James, for allegedly assaulting his mother and unlawfully possessing a firearm in Kano. The command’s Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Kiyawa, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying the suspect was arrested following a distress call received by operatives of the Panshekara Police Division on Sunday evening. According to the police, officers who responded to the call at about 7.30pm discovered that the suspect was physically attacking his mother at their residence in the Panshekara area of the metropolis. Kiyawa said the suspect fled the scene on sighting the…

Real estate developer and housing policy expert, Kunle Ilori-Diamond, has urged the Federal Government to prioritize better housing for police officers, warning that poor living conditions could undermine national security and foster corruption within the Force. Speaking during a policy intervention on police housing, Ilori-Diamond noted that officers living in overcrowded, informal, or unsecured accommodations are highly vulnerable to criminal influence, coercion, and financial pressures — factors that could compromise professional integrity. “A police officer living in informal or overcrowded housing faces risks that threaten personal safety and institutional integrity. They are more exposed to surveillance, coercion by landlords, neighbors,…

Ogun State has emerged as a model for women empowerment and effective project implementation, following a high-level assessment by a World Bank delegation on the Nigeria for Women Project (NFWP). The delegation, led by Vice President for Operations Policy and Country Services (OPCS), Ms. Gallina Andronova Vicelette, alongside Country Director Mr. Mathew Verghis, and Task Team Leader of the NFWP, Mr. Michael Ilesanmi, visited selected project sites across the state to evaluate the impact of the NFWP Scale-Up initiative and engage directly with beneficiaries. During the visit, the team interacted with Women Affinity Groups, including members of the Odeda Tailoring…

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has warned that Muslims across the country will neither recognise nor legitimise any election conducted under the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan. The Council described Amupitan’s continued tenure as a threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process and renewed calls for his immediate removal. President of the Council, Sheikh Bashir Umar, made the declaration on Wednesday during the Council’s 2026 Annual Pre-Ramadan Lecture and General Assembly in Abuja. Speaking on the theme, “Nigeria’s Future: Faith, Justice, and Leadership,” Umar accused the INEC chief of…

In a shocking revelation, seven suspected human traffickers have been arrested in Calabar, Cross River State, for allegedly attempting to sell a newborn baby for N3 million. The arrests were made by troops of the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army in collaboration with the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), following a tip-off about the activities of a suspected trafficking syndicate operating in the area. According to Major Yemi Sokoya, Assistant Director of Army Public Relations for the 13 Brigade, the intelligence-led operation was conducted on Tuesday at the Glorious Amazing Grace Hospital in the…

The Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, in collaboration with the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has commenced a nationwide verification and tracking exercise of constituency and zonal intervention projects to ensure compliance with approved standards. The exercise, flagged off on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, in Kano for the Northwest zone, is part of the federal government’s efforts to promote transparency, prevent project abandonment, and ensure value for money in public expenditure. Speaking at the flag-off ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, represented by the Director of the Special Projects Unit,…

Police bust syndicate over N7.7bn telecoms hack, recover 400 laptops, 1,000 phones Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested six suspects for allegedly hacking into the core systems of a telecommunications company and diverting airtime and mobile data valued at over N7.7bn. The suspects — Ahmad Bala, Karibu Mohammed Shehu, Umar Habib, Obinna Ananaba, Ibrahim Shehu and Masa’ud Sa’ad  were arrested following coordinated raids in Kano and Katsina states, with a follow-up arrest in the Federal Capital Territory, the police said on Wednesday. In a statement, the Force Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed that investigators recovered two mini…

Fresh allegations of internal compromise within the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) emerged on Wednesday as a defence witness told the Federal High Court in Abuja that some NDLEA officers routinely aided drug couriers to beat airport security checks in the ongoing cocaine trial of suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari. The witness, Inspector El-John Nwonke of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Abuja, said two convicted drug traffickers — Chibunna Patrick Umeibe and Emeka Alphonsus Ezenwanne  confessed during interrogation that NDLEA officers at the Akanu Ibiam International Airport, Enugu, habitually cleared them to pass with narcotics concealed…

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, on Wednesday issued a fresh warning to traders defying the government’s directive to open markets on Mondays, vowing to revoke shop ownership and reallocate stalls to willing operators if the sit-at-home persists. Soludo, who described the action as “economic sabotage,” said the cost of the weekly shutdown was crippling the broader economy, insisting that it was not about tax losses but the devastating impact on traders, families and education. “Monday is the most important day of the week. If we continue like this, our economy will continue to come down. We can’t train our…