Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Four members of a notorious nine-man kidnapping syndicate that terrorised residents of Ikot Abasi and neighbouring communities in Rivers State have been sentenced to death by hanging by an Akwa Ibom State High Court. The convicts—Marvelous Ndah, 38, of Ikot Iyire, Edemaya; Anthony Anthony Akpan, 37, of Ekput, Ibiono Ibom; Aniema Eshiet, 34, of Oborenyin, Ikot Abasi; and Onyebule Gift Ogbonna, 41, of Omuma, Rivers State—were found guilty of kidnapping and conspiracy. Justice Archibong Archibong, who presided over the case, delivered the verdict after the prosecution proved beyond reasonable doubt that the men were responsible for the abduction and subsequent…

The Supreme Council for Shari’ah in Nigeria (SCSN) has raised the alarm over alleged clandestine alterations in Nigeria’s newly gazetted tax laws, warning that the development, if proven, constitutes a grave breach of the Constitution and a threat to democratic governance. The Islamic body expressed concern over what it described as disturbing discrepancies between tax reform bills duly passed by the National Assembly and the versions later gazetted and presented to the public. Its position followed allegations raised on the floor of the House of Representatives on Wednesday by Abdulsamad Dasuki, who claimed that clauses not debated or approved by…

Fresh revelations by the daughters of late former President Muhammadu Buhari have cast new light on the inner workings of his administration, suggesting both bureaucratic manipulation at the highest level and the former president’s awareness of public dissatisfaction. In From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, a new biography by Charles Omole, Fatima Buhari, a forensic auditor and daughter of the late president, alleged that several official documents carried forged signatures of her father during his tenure. She claimed to have personally reviewed suspicious documents and presented them to Buhari, who was reportedly concerned about the integrity of…

There was panic on Wednesday morning at the Ebonyi State Police Command headquarters in Abakaliki as an Assistant Commissioner of Police, Ogbon-Inu Taiwo Popoola, slumped and died during a management meeting. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred at about 10:30am while a routine management meeting was ongoing at the office of the Commissioner of Police. Popoola, who was the Assistant Commissioner of Police in charge of the State Intelligence Department, was said to have suddenly developed breathing difficulties and began gasping for breath in the presence of other senior officers. Sources within the command disclosed that the meeting was…

The Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, on Thursday dismissed an application by a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), seeking bail from the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. Justice Babangida Hassan, in his ruling, held that Malami’s continued detention by the anti-graft agency was lawful, having been carried out pursuant to a valid remand order earlier granted by a court of coordinate jurisdiction. The ruling was disclosed in a statement issued by the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale. Malami, through his counsel, Sulaiman Hassan (SAN), had urged the court to grant…

The Federal Government has announced the reopening of all 47 Federal Unity Colleges across the country, assuring parents and guardians that adequate security measures have been put in place to guarantee the safety of students and staff. The reopening followed the strengthening of security architecture within and around the affected schools after earlier disruptions linked to insecurity in parts of the country. The Ministry of Education disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday by its Director of Press and Public Relations, Folasade Boriowo. According to the ministry, academic activities have fully resumed in all the Unity Colleges, with students…

Ogun State has emerged as a national reference point in grassroots women empowerment following the successful formation of 1,613 Women Affinity Groups under the Nigeria for Women Project Scale-Up (NFWP-SU), drawing delegations from nine states across the country to understudy its implementation model. The visiting states — Ekiti, Abia, Kwara, Kogi, Delta, Bayelsa, Ebonyi, Anambra and Ondo, alongside officials of the Federal Government, are currently in Ogun on an implementation support mission for Southern states, held in Abeokuta. Speaking at the engagement, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Mrs Motunrayo Adijat Adeleye, attributed the feat to the sustained…

Aishah Waliyyulah & Grace Adeleye Crisis erupted on Thursday,  at the election of the Ogun State chapter of the Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) as key health sector unions staged a walkout, rejecting the process that led to the emergence of a former Vice Chairman of the council, Oladipupo Sanyaolu, as the new JNC chairman. The Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) and the National Association of Nigerian Nurses and Midwives (NANNM) in Ogun State faulted the election, describing it as lacking fairness, equity, justice, accountability and credibility. PLATFORM TIMES reports that those  who kicked against the process include…

Fresh pressure is mounting on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to act over allegations surrounding the academic credentials of the Minister of Interior, Hon. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, following a report by a private investigator that questioned the authenticity of the Bachelor of Engineering degree he claims to have obtained from London Metropolitan University, United Kingdom. The report, which has begun to circulate amid heightened public scrutiny of officials’ conduct in the Tinubu administration, alleged that there is no verifiable evidence that Tunji-Ojo completed the undergraduate programme required for the award of the degree he has consistently paraded in official records. According to…

Members of the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC), Ogun State Metro Command, have been urged to deepen their commitment to community service and security as part of efforts to sustain peace across the state. The charge was given by a former Commandant-General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Dr. Adewale John Abolurin, during an inspection visit by executives of the State Metro PCRC to the ongoing remodelling of the Ibara Government Reserved Area (GRA) Police Post in Abeokuta. Abolurin said the transformation of the facility into a modern, state-of-the-art police post, with plans to upgrade it to…