Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Renowned elder statesman, human rights advocate, and philanthropist, Otunba Ephraim Lana Akintan, on Monday marked his 96th birthday with thanksgiving and special prayers for traditional rulers, business leaders, and his mentees who have dedicated themselves to service and philanthropy. The modest but symbolic celebration, held at his Oja-Odan residence, witnessed the nonagenarian offering heartfelt prayers for the Oloja of Oja-Odan, Oba (Engr.) Oyebanji Adetunji Olowobese, and the town’s residents, seeking divine wisdom and guidance for the monarch in steering the community. Otunba Akintan also prayed specially for some of his mentees, including the Chairman of IBD IMPEX Ltd, Chief Ibrahim…

A kidnap syndicate ran out of luck on Monday in Nasarawa State after a ghastly accident exposed their operations, leading to the recovery of a cache of weapons and ₦6.9 million ransom. The incident occurred in Angwan Mayo, Kokona Local Government Area, when the gang’s Opel Vectra, with registration number Plateau BLD 566 ST, lost control near a Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO) checkpoint. The Nasarawa State Police Command said two of the suspects fled immediately after the crash but were forced to abandon their loot. Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, disclosed that a vigilant VIO officer had already…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Monday said more than 69,000 Nigerians completed their online pre-registration for voter cards within the first seven hours of resuming its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR). INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja. According to him, the online registration portal, which went live at 8:30 a.m., had recorded 69,376 applications by 3:30 p.m. the same day. A breakdown of the figure showed that 33,803 (48.7 per cent) were male, while 35,573 (51.3 per cent) were female. Young Nigerians…

The son of Boko Haram’s late founder, Mohammed Yusuf, has been arrested in Chad while reportedly leading a jihadist cell linked to the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), PLATFORM TIMES has learnt. Identified as Muslim Mohammed Yusuf, the 18-year-old was captured alongside five other suspected terrorists during a raid by Chadian security forces. Multiple security sources confirmed that Yusuf, who also goes by the alias Abdrahman Mahamat Abdoulaye, was coordinating operations within the Lake Chad region before his arrest. According to reports, the suspects were not directly tied to Boko Haram but were active under ISWAP, the splinter faction…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has launched an investigation into 6,458 candidates accused of deploying advanced technology to manipulate the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). The board, on Monday in Abuja, inaugurated a 23-member Special Committee on Examination Infraction with a three-week mandate to probe the alleged cases and recommend sanctions. JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, said the decision followed the discovery of what he described as “strange and extraordinary infractions” during the examination. “This year, we came across a number of strange things, and we felt it would be better if we expanded our resources. Examination…

A new report has revealed a deepening paternity crisis in Nigeria, showing that one in every four men who believe they are fathers may not be the biological parents of their presumed children. The 2025 Annual DNA Testing Report, released on Monday by Smart DNA Nigeria, disclosed that 25 percent of paternity tests conducted in the country between July 2024 and June 2025 returned negative results. This figure represents a slight drop from the 27 percent recorded in the previous year. According to the findings, firstborn children were the most affected, with firstborn sons accounting for 64 percent of the…

The United States has commended Nigeria’s security forces for the successful arrest of two notorious leaders of the Ansaru terrorist group, describing the operation as a significant milestone in the country’s fight against terrorism. National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, confirmed the arrests on Monday, saying the terrorists were captured in a series of “high-risk, intelligence-led counter-terrorism operations” carried out between May and July 2025. Those arrested are Mahmud Muhammad Usman, the self-proclaimed Emir of Ansaru, and his deputy, Mahmud al-Nigeri. Ribadu disclosed that Usman coordinated sleeper cells across Nigeria and masterminded several high-profile kidnappings and armed robberies that funded the…

…Falcons  Insist on Payment In  Dollars  The row over President Bola Tinubu’s $100,000 reward for the Super Falcons has deepened as the players rejected attempts by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) to settle the payment in naira. The development, which has sparked heated debate among football enthusiasts, centers on the WAFCON champions’ insistence that the money must be disbursed in dollars as originally announced. A sports analyst, Aron Akerejola, disclosed on Arise TV that the NFF had proposed paying the players their allowances—estimated at $30,000 per player—in naira at the official exchange rate of ₦1,530 to the dollar. “But the…

The Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has convicted three additional suspects arrested in connection with the recent cybercrime raid at a hotel within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) complex in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The convicts – Adenekan Ayinde, Oyatokun Qudus, and Adisa Okikiade – were among the 93 individuals apprehended last week by operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) during a coordinated sting operation in the state capital. Their conviction, delivered on Monday by Justice Dehinde Dipeolu, came barely three days after four other suspects from the same raid were jailed for related offences. According…

Elder statesman and philanthropist, Otunba Lana Akintan, on Monday commissioned the permanent office of the Otunba Lana Akintan Human Rights Foundation (OLAKHUF) as part of activities marking his 96th birthday. The event, which took place in Oja-Odan, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State, symbolised both a celebration of his longevity and a reaffirmation of his lifelong commitment to justice, equity and human dignity. The Foundation, inaugurated in 2024 during his 95th birthday celebration, now has a permanent office to scale up its mission of protecting the oppressed and giving a voice to the voiceless. Speaking at the commissioning,…