Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A Nigerian Army officer, identified as Lieutenant Isma’il Abdullahi Chafe of the Nigerian Army, has reportedly been killed in a suspected terrorist ambush in Sokoto State, just weeks to his scheduled wedding. The late officer, who was attached to the 248 Recce Battalion, Illela Barracks, was said to have been among soldiers ambushed on Saturday, May 16, 2026, by armed assailants believed to be members of the Lakurawa terror network while on active operational duty. Sources and multiple posts circulating on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) claimed that Lt. Chafe died during the deadly encounter, although official military confirmation…

Nigeria’s banking sector is losing an estimated N2.5 trillion in annual earnings to the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) high Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) policy, a new report has revealed, raising fresh concerns over credit expansion, profitability, and economic growth. The report, published by investment and research firm Chapel Hill Denham, described the CRR regime as one of the most significant structural constraints on the Nigerian financial system, arguing that it continues to tie down huge volumes of bank deposits that could otherwise be deployed for lending and investment. Under the current framework, banks are required to keep a large…

The principal of Community High School, Esinele in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Mrs Folawe Alamu, has made a desperate appeal to the Federal Government, Governor Seyi Makinde and security agencies over her abduction alongside several pupils and staff, pleading for urgent intervention to prevent further loss of life. In a viral video obtained on Sunday, the distraught school administrator begged for immediate rescue, saying she and other victims had remained in captivity since Friday morning when armed men invaded the school community. Mrs Alamu said the attackers struck at about 9:30 a.m., abducting students and staff members…

…  Cite Alleged Threats, insecurity Concerns, Say Supporters’ Safety Outweighs Ambition Daud Olatunji The political group supporting former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, has explained why it advised him to withdraw from the All Progressives Congress senatorial primary election scheduled for Monday, citing alleged threats, rising tension and safety concerns for supporters. The group, operating under the BATOGD Movement  In a statement jointly signed by 35 political associates drawn from across Ogun East senatorial district, titled, “Our Ebenezeri,” said its decision followed what it called “strange movements” and intimidation allegedly targeted at its members…

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has slammed South-West governors over the recent attacks on schools in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State, describing the incidents as “alarming and unacceptable” and demanding urgent security interventions. In a statement, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere’s National Publicity Secretary, said the organisation’s leader, Reuben Fasoranti, was deeply saddened by the attacks, which coincided with celebrations of his 100th birthday. Fasoranti reportedly sympathised with the victims and their families and prayed for the quick recovery of those injured. The group warned that repeated attacks and abductions in the South-West and parts of Kwara State indicate a growing…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reassured Nigerians that the country remains free of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), even as outbreaks intensify in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Uganda. In a public advisory on Sunday, NCDC Director-General, Dr. Jide Idris, said, “Nigeria currently has no confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease.” He added that the agency, in collaboration with key stakeholders including the Federal Ministry of Health’s Port Health Service, has activated emergency surveillance measures across the country to prevent any possible spread. Dr. Idris urged the public to remain calm, adhere to hygiene…

Forty-five small-scale business owners in Ogun State have been empowered with tools and items worth over N10 million through the sixth edition of a programme jointly organised by Dawah Front of Nigeria, Abeokuta Chapter, and the Amir Zakat Foundation. The ceremony, held on Sunday at the Egba Central Mosque, Kobiti, benefited artisans, traders, computer operators, food vendors, and a Point of Sales (POS) operator. Each of the 45 beneficiaries received industrial and manual sewing machines, refrigerators, laptops, medium-sized generators, laminating machines, weaving machines, foodstuff, and cash support. The total cost for empowering the 45 persons exceeded N10 million. Five other…

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has disqualified several high-profile aspirants in Rivers State ahead of the party’s 2027 senatorial and House of Representatives primaries, in a move that appears to favour allies of former Governor Nyesom Wike. A list released by the party revealed that Senator Ipalibo Banigo, representing Rivers West and a former deputy governor, was not cleared to contest the upcoming senatorial primaries. Others excluded include Tamunobaabo Danagogo, former Rivers State Secretary to the Government (SSG) under Wike and also a past cabinet member under incumbent Governor Siminalayi Fubara, former senator Ojukaye Amachree, and businessman Jack-Rich Tein, a…

Fresh confusion has emerged over the reported killing of senior Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) commander, Abu Bilal Minuki, also known as Abubakar Mainok, following conflicting announcements by Nigerian authorities and international leaders. The Nigerian military had previously declared Minuki dead in 2024, listing him among top IS-affiliated commanders neutralised during coordinated operations across the North. The announcement, made by then-Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, claimed Minuki was eliminated on February 21, 2024, along the Birnin Gwari forest axis and Abuja–Kaduna highway. At the time, the military also reported the killing of other senior insurgents,…

 Seven passengers were on Saturday abducted by suspected gunmen along the Kabba road while travelling to Abuja, in an attack that left commuters and drivers on edge over rising insecurity on the state’s highways. A video circulating on social media showed the driver of a vehicle belonging to Ominyimotors, a prominent car dealer, recounting his narrow escape from the assailants. The driver said he was delivering a car to Abuja when armed men blocked the road, opened fire on motorists, and forcibly removed passengers from vehicles. “I escaped kidnapping just now. This bus you are seeing, they packed all the…