Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has sentenced a woman, Halima Haliru Umar, to 20 years’ imprisonment for unlawful possession of 302 rounds of AK-47 ammunition and attempting to support acts of terrorism. Justice Hauwa Yilwa, who delivered the judgment on Friday, held that the convict was guilty based on her admission to two counts in a four-count charge filed by the Department of State Services. Umar had, upon her arraignment on March 11, 2026, pleaded guilty to counts three and four of the charge bordering on illegal possession of ammunition and rendering support for terrorism. The DSS had…

The British Government has declared that it has no preferred candidate in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, reaffirming its commitment to neutrality and support for a credible democratic process. The British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Gill Lever, made this known during a courtesy visit to Kwara State Governor and Chairman of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, at the Government House in Ilorin. Lever stressed that the United Kingdom would not interfere in Nigeria’s electoral process, noting that its primary interest lies in ensuring that the elections are peaceful, inclusive, and credible. “The British government is entirely neutral. We do…

The Anti-Corruption Crusade of the Organisation of People’s Voice, a member of the ICPC National Anti-Corruption Coalition in Ogun State, has raised the alarm over what it described as the growing culture of political exploitation, manipulation, and abuse of public trust in Nigeria. The group warned that the continued commercialisation of politics and erosion of democratic accountability pose serious threats to national stability, economic growth, and sustainable development. In a statement issued on Thursday, the Anti-Corruption Ambassador of Nigeria, Ustadh Tajudeen Jimoh Alao, who spoke on behalf of the State Coordinator, Mr. Idris Kelvin Abu, said the current political climate…

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a suspected kidnapper at the point of collecting a N10m ransom for an abducted victim in Atiba Local Government Area of the state. The suspect was apprehended during a coordinated overnight operation in Otefon forest, where members of a kidnapping gang had assembled to receive payment from the victim’s family. The Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, confirmed the development on Thursday, saying the operation was triggered by credible intelligence provided by the Vigilante Group of Nigeria in the state. According to him, the victim, identified as Alhaji Bagudu, was abducted on May…

No fewer than 54 Nigerian pilgrims have been hospitalised in Saudi Arabia during the ongoing 2026 Hajj exercise, while four deaths have been recorded, the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (National Hajj Commission of Nigeria) has confirmed. The Head of the National Medical Team disclosed this on Thursday while briefing journalists in Makkah on the health and welfare situation of Nigerian pilgrims participating in the pilgrimage. He said the commission currently operates five licensed medical clinics across Saudi Arabia to attend to Nigerian pilgrims, including two in Madinah and three in Makkah. According to him, the Madinah facilities are located…

Obasa impeachment saga: I nearly lost my job over Desmond Elliot issue – Gbajabiamila Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, Femi Gbajabiamila, has revealed how a political crisis in the Lagos State House of Assembly nearly cost him his job after he was drawn into the controversy surrounding the attempted removal of Speaker Mudashiru Obasa. Gbajabiamila said President Bola Tinubu almost sacked him after suspicions linked him to developments during the heated impeachment drama that rocked the Lagos Assembly. He spoke on Thursday while addressing members of the All Progressives Congress, recounting how his relationship with some lawmakers, particularly…

Authorities in Bauchi State have arrested a group of minors over an alleged illegal marriage ceremony in which a bride price of just N3,000 was reportedly paid, in a case that has sparked fresh concerns over child protection and declining social safeguards. The suspects, which include the purported bride and groom, were on Thursday presented before the Bauchi State Action Committee on Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, chaired by the wife of the state governor, Aisha Bala Mohammed. Security operatives from the Bauchi State Vigilante and Youth Empowerment Agency, working alongside the Bauchi State Police Command, carried out the arrests. Also…

A tragic internal military incident has been reported in Kano State, where an unidentified soldier allegedly opened fire on a colleague, killing him instantly during a dispute while on duty. The deceased, identified as Sergeant Suleiman, was reportedly shot by a junior colleague, a Private attached to the 21st Nigerian Army (21NA), during an altercation at a private security post in the state. Military sources said both personnel were on guard duty at the residence of a retired senior officer when the incident occurred earlier in the week. According to one source, the disagreement between the two soldiers escalated into…

Outrage has erupted over the alleged abandonment of Nigerian pilgrims from Adamawa State in Saudi Arabia, after a viral video showed dozens of them—many of them elderly—sleeping outdoors without accommodation despite reportedly paying over N8.3 million each for the 2025 Hajj exercise. The distressed pilgrims, drawn from Yola North, Song, and Madagali Local Government Areas, were seen in the footage sitting helplessly beside their luggage in open spaces, lamenting what they described as total neglect by officials responsible for their welfare in the Holy Land. Madagali, one of the affected areas, is the hometown of Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Umaru…

Former Governor of Ondo State, Olusegun Mimiko, on Thursday formally defected to the All Progressives Congress, declaring support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election in 2027. Mimiko, who governed Ondo State between 2009 and 2017, announced his defection at the APC Ward 7 Secretariat in Ondo West Local Government Area, weeks after resigning from the Peoples Democratic Party in April. The former governor said his decision to join the ruling party was driven by a desire to contribute more meaningfully to Nigeria’s socio-economic and political development. He noted that despite prevailing economic challenges, the current administration’s policies were laying a…