Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Passengers aboard a train travelling from Warri to Itakpe were left stranded in a remote forest in Kogi State on Tuesday after the locomotive reportedly broke down mid-journey, forcing commuters to trek for hours to safety. Among the stranded passengers was Marxist activist, Kola Edokpayi, who documented the ordeal in a video shared on social media. Edokpayi, who was en route to Abuja, said the train developed a fault in what he described as an “evil forest” with no mobile network coverage. “We became apprehensive,” he said. “We were stranded in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest and with…

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has said it will begin the payment of the first tranche of liquidation dividends to depositors of the defunct Heritage Bank before the end of April 2025. This comes after the Central Bank of Nigeria revoked the bank’s operating licence on June 3, 2024. The NDIC Managing Director, Bello Hassan, made this known on Wednesday during the corporation’s special day at the 36th Enugu International Trade Fair. Hassan, who was represented by the NDIC South-East Zonal Coordinator, Pamela Robert, said the corporation had made progress in disposing of the bank’s assets and recovering debts. “We…

In a significant move to combat poverty and stimulate grassroots economic growth, the Toyin Amuzu Foundation (TAF) has empowered 100 residents of Abeokuta South Local Government Area, Ogun State, with Point of Sales (POS) terminals, registered business names, cash gifts, and mobile kiosks. The initiative, spearheaded by Chief Toyin Amuzu, a former House of Representatives candidate under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), seeks to create sustainable livelihoods for beneficiaries and promote job creation in the area. Speaking during the presentation ceremony, Amuzu described the intervention as a strategic and apolitical effort to help young people become self-reliant amid prevailing economic…

There was pandemonium in Obingwa Local Government Area of Abia State after a deceased man’s tongue and testicles were allegedly discovered missing at a private mortuary. The shocking discovery reportedly led to the arrest of three mortuary attendants by the police, while youths from the deceased’s community vandalised the facility in protest. The incident occurred at a mortuary located between Afoukwu and Abayi Okoroato village along the Aba-Ikot Ekpene highway. Family and friends of the deceased had arrived to retrieve the body for burial when they discovered that the tongue and manhood had allegedly been removed. The development sparked outrage…

Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has vowed that the party will not repeat the mistakes of the past as it prepares for the 2027 general elections, assuring Nigerians that only credible and committed candidates will fly the party’s flag. Obi made this promise on Wednesday during the National Executive Council meeting of the Labour Party held in Abuja. He emphasized the need for internal reforms within the party and a renewed focus on values-driven politics. Addressing members of the NEC, the former Anambra State governor said the Labour Party was determined to rebuild from the grassroots…

Former President Muhammadu Buhari has said he left office with the same physical assets he possessed before becoming Nigeria’s president in 2015. Buhari disclosed this during a meeting with governors under the platform of the All Progressives Congress, who visited him at his residence in Daura, Katsina State, according to a statement issued by his media aide, Garba Shehu. “I left office with the same physical assets I had before becoming president,” Buhari told the governors, while urging them to prioritise the needs of citizens over personal interests. He encouraged the state executives to embrace citizen-centred governance and strike a…

Tragedy struck in Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State on Tuesday as two women were confirmed dead after drowning in a pond, the Kano State Fire Service has said. The agency’s Public Relations Officer, Alhaji Saminu Abdullahi, disclosed the incident in a statement issued in Kano on Wednesday. According to the statement, the fire service received a distress call at exactly 11:15 a.m. from a vigilance group in the area, alerting them to the unfortunate incident. “The relatives of the victims informed the vigilance group that the women, who were staff of a Zobo (hibiscus drink) processing company, had…

The military government of Niger Republic has officially replaced French with Hausa as the country’s national language, marking a significant shift from its colonial heritage. The announcement was contained in a new national charter issued on March 31 and published in a special edition of the government’s official newspaper. According to the document, “The national language is Hausa, and the working languages are English and French.” Hausa, already the most widely spoken language in Niger — particularly in the Zinder, Maradi, and Tahoua regions — is understood by the majority of the country’s estimated 26 million people. In contrast, only…

The Federal Government has assured that the naira-for-crude oil deal will continue, despite the conclusion of its first phase on March 31, 2025. This announcement was made following a crucial meeting held by key stakeholders, including Wale Edun, the Minister of Finance, and Zacch Adedeji, Chairman of the committee overseeing the initiative. The meeting, which took place on Monday, included representatives from the Ministry of Finance, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC), the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, and several other key organizations such as the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC). In a statement,…

The Labour Party (LP) held a pivotal National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, chaired by Nenadi Usman, the former finance minister now leading the party’s caretaker committee. This gathering comes amidst the ongoing leadership crisis, following the controversial Supreme Court ruling on the party’s leadership dispute. The meeting, which took place at the Transcorp Hilton, attracted prominent figures within the party, including Peter Obi, the LP’s 2023 presidential candidate; Datti Baba-Ahmed, his running mate; and Alex Otti, the governor of Abia State. Other key attendees included Olumide Akpata, the party’s governorship candidate for Edo State, and Athan…