NEWS PLATFORM

By Demola Bakare fsi Abuja-Nigeria. Nigeria’s crisis of accountability is not rooted in the absence of laws. It is rooted in the uneven courage to apply them. Allegations of forged academic or professional credentials in public office are not new. What is new—and deeply troubling—is the growing public perception that the consequences of such allegations depend less on the offence itself and more on the status of the accused. This perception strikes at the heart of Nigeria’s anti-corruption efforts and raises uncomfortable questions about selective justice, institutional integrity, and the credibility of public office. Under Nigerian law, falsification of credentials is neither trivial nor ambiguous. The Criminal Code Act (Sections 463–465) criminalises forgery and the uttering of false documents, prescribing penalties that include imprisonment. The Penal Code, applicable in the northern states, contains similar provisions. Beyond criminal statutes, the 1999 Constitution (as amended) se...

The Chief Magistrate Court I sitting in Yola, Adamawa State on Thursday, remanded a 19 years old Istifanus Bitrus, for allegedly attempting to kill 9 years old boy for money ritual. News Platform  Magistrate Kabiru Musa, ordered the remand of the Istifanus who hails from Garkida community in Gombi LGA, following his arraignment before the court. The presiding judge remanded the defendant and adjourned the case to the 18th February, 2026 to await legal advice from DPP Ministry of Justice Adamawa State. Istifanus allegedly took his victim known as Friday Musa, to the river side and pushed him into the said river with an intention of making sacrifice with him on the 31st January, 2025. The defendant, who was arraigned for alleged criminal charm and attempt to commit culpable homicide, was said to have been ordered to do so by his spiritual father. The offences according to the First Information Report tendered by ASP Zakka Musa contravene sections 188 and 201 of the penal code law Ada...

The immediate past Governor of Ekiti State and former Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), Dr Kayode Fayemi, has dismissed as false a report claiming that he is holding a closed-door meeting with former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, at his Abuja residence. The claim was circulated on X (formerly Twitter) by a number of social media handles such as “June 12 Movement” and “ADC Vanguard” alongside a resurrected old video clip showing Fayemi greeting Senator Kwankwaso at his residence. In a statement issued by the Fayemi Media Office on Wednesday, Fayemi described the report as a blatant lie that must have surprised Senator Kwankwanso equally and urged the public to disregard it.  According to the statement, ‘’Dr Fayemi has only met Senator Kwankwaso once in the last one year, and that occasion was at the public book launch of former Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN). ‘’At no time has Dr Fayemi held, or is he holding, any clo...

The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has secured the conviction of Muhammad Said Musa, a former official of the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission (NIPC), for making false statements through the use of forged academic and service certificates. The conviction was handed down by Hon. Justice B. Mandy Bassi of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court, sitting at Court 55, Asokoro, Abuja, following a one-count amended charge pursuant to a plea bargain agreement entered into by the defendant. The court found that Musa fraudulently obtained and presented a forged Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree certificate in Political Science, purportedly issued by the University of Maiduguri, as well as a forged National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Certificate of National Service, which he used to secure employment with the NIPC. The offence came to light after the ICPC received a request from the Executive Secretary of the NIPC for a Staff Verificati...

The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested a 40 years old Abubakar Sadiq, for allegedly killing his elder brother, Alh. Sadiq Kawu Boga. The arrest according to the spokesman of the commission, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje followed credible intelligence received by the  operatives of the command attached to Gombi Divisional Police headquarters    He said that the operation was carried out in collaboration with profssional hunters who swung into action and luckily arrested the suspect of Boga Village, Gombi LGA. He explained that the suspect was apprehended in connection to the killing of his elder brother Alh. Sadiq Kawu Boga on the 20st January, 2026, saying that the during interrogation, the suspect confessed  committing the crime, along wìth five others. "Interestingly, he led the Police to the recovery of one (1) AK-47 rifle used in committing the crime and twenty-four (24) rounds of live ammunitions. The suspect further mentioned two (2) of his accomplices incl...

The fact is that Yola North, Yola South and Girei Federal Constituency at the National Assembly does not need a representative who only occupies the exalted seat, but a dedicated, knowledgeable and committed person who understands systems and can engage ministries and investors through lobby on behalf of his electorate. It needs somebody who respects community voices and has patience and maturity to turn challenges into opportunities for the overall benefit of his or her constituents. This simple truth reflects the reality of lack of quality representation for Yola South, Yola North and Girei constituency at the National Assembly. Representation today is no longer about presence alone; rather about performance, accessibility, influence, and measurable impact. It is not about sending somebody to National Assembly to serve as bench warmer who is capable of navigating institutions, building partnerships, and converting opportunities into concrete benefits for the people. It is based on th...