Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Court Confiscates Ohio Mansion …Monarch Used Stolen Funds For Real Estate, Luxury Lifestyle …Investigators Tracked 38 Fraudulent SBA Loan Approvals To Monarch The Apetu of Ipetumodu in Osun State, Oba Joseph Olugbenga Oloyede, has been sentenced to 56 months in prison in the United States after being convicted of a multi-million-dollar COVID-19 relief fraud. Oloyede, 62, who holds dual citizenship in Nigeria and the U.S., was on Tuesday handed the jail term by District Judge Christopher A. Boyko of the Northern District of Ohio. According to a statement obtained  from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the monarch will also serve three…

Bashir Abdullahi Haske, son-in-law to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has dismissed claims by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) that he is evading arrest, describing the allegations as false and politically motivated. The businessman, who was recently declared wanted by the anti-graft agency over alleged multi-million-dollar money laundering and criminal conspiracy, said contrary to EFCC’s position, he had honoured their invitation and provided all necessary documents to defend the legitimacy of his financial dealings. Haske, in a statement released by his media office on Tuesday, insisted that the EFCC’s action was a calculated attempt to tarnish his image…

…Seeks Arrest Warrant Against Uba Sani For “Crimes Against Democracy” Senator representing Kaduna Central, Lawal Adamu Usman, has petitioned the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, demanding the issuance of an arrest warrant against Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, over the arrest and detention of opposition figures during the August 16 Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency by-election. Usman accused the governor of orchestrating the clampdown on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Princess Esther Asheu Velli Dawaki, and several party leaders, who were arrested by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on the eve of the poll. In…

A former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Prof. Usman Yusuf, has accused state governors of worsening the current economic hardship in Nigeria by mismanaging resources and concealing the true state of affairs from President Bola Tinubu. Yusuf, who spoke during a Trust TV interview on Tuesday, said although the Tinubu administration has increased revenue allocations to states following the removal of fuel subsidy, governors have failed to channel the funds into developmental projects that would ease citizens’ suffering. “Mr President, if they are not telling you the truth, listen to me, I’m telling you the truth…

The Anambra State House of Assembly has suspended Hon. Bernard Udemezue, member representing Ayamelum Constituency, for three months over what colleagues described as “damaging” social media posts against the legislature. Udemezue, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, had accused the Assembly of marginalising his constituency in the distribution of constituency allowances. He also disclosed details of his own allocation, sparking outrage among colleagues who said his comments threatened the integrity and security of the House. His suspension followed a motion of urgent public importance raised at plenary by Tony Muobike, representing Aguata 2 Constituency, and seconded by the Chief Whip,…

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) on Tuesday staged a protest over what they described as the “shameful” N150,000 retirement benefit being paid to professors and other academic staff under the current contributory pension scheme. The protest, which lasted for about an hour on the institution’s campus, drew scores of lecturers who decried the government’s treatment of intellectuals despite their decades of service to the country. Addressing the protesters, Chairman of UNIMAID ASUU, Dr. Abubakar Mshelia, said it was an insult that professors who had spent over 40 years in classrooms were made…

The Federal High Court in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Tuesday, ordered the permanent forfeiture of shares worth N246.3 million traced to a former Managing Director of the Nigerian Army Properties Limited (NAPL), Major-General U.M. Mohammed (retd.), after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) proved that the assets were proceeds of fraud. Justice Dehinde Dipeolu delivered the ruling following an application brought by the Lagos Zonal Directorate 1 of the EFCC, represented by counsel, H.U. Kofarnaisa. The anti-graft agency had told the court that Mohammed, while serving as NAPL’s Managing Director between 2015 and 2020, diverted funds from the sale of…

The Federal Government on Tuesday unveiled an ambitious plan to integrate at least half of Nigeria’s estimated five million out-of-school nomadic children into the formal education system within the next two years. Director of Basic Education at the Federal Ministry of Education, Folake Olatunji-David, disclosed this during a virtual media briefing in Abuja, describing the initiative as a decisive step to tackle one of Nigeria’s most pressing education crises. According to her, the plan targets the enrollment of 20 per cent of nomadic children by 2026, while an additional 30 per cent are expected to be absorbed into the system…

The Benue State House of Assembly on Tuesday suspended its immediate past Speaker, Aondona Dajoh, over an alleged plot to impeach Governor Hyacinth Alia. The decision followed a motion raised by Terna Shimawua, representing Kyan State Constituency, during plenary. Shimawua was among the lawmakers suspended last week by Dajoh when he still held sway as Speaker. Ruling on the motion, the new Speaker, Alfred Berger, who represents Makurdi North, reduced Dajoh’s suspension from the six months initially proposed to three months. The Assembly also confirmed the appointment of Timothy Yangien Ornguga as Commissioner, a nomination earlier rejected by Dajoh before…

Stakeholders from the six states of the Southwest on Tuesday converged on Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, for a three-day multi-sectoral emergency preparedness workshop aimed at addressing recurring disasters, including flooding and cholera outbreaks, that continue to plague the region. The workshop, convened by the Oyo State Government in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), brought together representatives from state governments, emergency agencies, and development partners to chart strategies for strengthening regional response to disasters. In his presentation, UNICEF Emergency Specialist, Olayinka Afolabi, traced the recurrent flooding and cholera outbreaks in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, and Osun states to poor sanitation…