Author: Platform Times Newspaper

..Bonds Range From $5,000 To $15,000 Depending On Visa Risk Assessment  … Travelers Restricted To Three US Airports, Effective January 21, 202 Daud Olatunji  The United States government has unveiled a new policy requiring Nigerians and nationals of 37 other countries to post substantial Visa Bonds before being granted visitor visas. The move, announced on Wednesday by the US State Department, is aimed at curbing visa overstays and ensuring compliance with US immigration laws. Under the new regulation, prospective travellers seeking B1/B2 (business and tourism) visas may be asked to post bonds ranging from $5,000 to $15,000, based…

Lafia and Awe local government areas in Nasarawa State were thrown into panic after six individuals suspected of Lassa fever escaped from the Federal University of Lafia Teaching Hospital Isolation Centre. The escapees were initially brought to the facility by the State Ministry of Health’s response team after they were identified as contacts of a patient who reportedly died from complications resembling Lassa fever nine days ago. Blood samples from the suspects were sent to the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) reference laboratory in Abuja for confirmation. According to the Director of Public Health, Peter Attah, the suspects escaped…

The Nigeria Police Force has foiled an alleged kidnapping plot in Kaduna State, rescuing 76 children from suspected traffickers and arresting three men in connection with the crime. The Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, disclosed in a statement on Wednesday that the operation followed credible intelligence received on Monday, January 5, 2026, about a planned attack targeting motorists transporting children. “Upon receipt of the intelligence, the Divisional Police Officer of Kasuwan Magani Division promptly mobilised a team to the area,” Hundeyin said. “On arrival, our operatives engaged and repelled the attackers, rescuing 76 children, aged between 7 and…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has granted bail to former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, his wife, Asabe Bashir, and son, Abdulaziz Malami, in the ongoing N8.7 billion money laundering trial against them. Justice Emeka Nwite on Wednesday set N500 million bail for each defendant, with two sureties of equal value, insisting that the sureties must have verifiable properties in Maitama or Gwarinpa, Abuja. The judge ruled that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s (EFCC) objections—particularly concerns that the accused might jump bail or interfere with witnesses—were “not concrete enough”. He added…

… Ex-President Recounts Labour Reforms, Praises Summonu’s Leadership Daud Olatunji  Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has revealed that when he assumed office in 1999, Nigeria’s labour movement was partly funded by foreign intelligence agencies, including the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Soviet-era KGB. Obasanjo disclosed this on Wednesday at the Yar’Adua Centre, Abuja, during the 85th birthday celebration and book launch of former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) President Hassan Summonu. According to the ex-President, the revelation formed the basis of his decision to reform Nigeria’s labour unions and establish a truly independent, nationally-controlled organisation. “Before the reforms, one union was…

…Ruling ,Opposition Figures Fingered In Sabotage Plot …Agency Alleges Cross-Party Conspiracy By APC, PDP, ADC Politician Daud Olatunji  The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday sounded the alarm over a purported plot by politicians across party lines to undermine the nation’s anti-corruption drive ahead of the 2027 general elections. In a statement by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, the agency alleged that some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) were allegedly collaborating with academics, self-styled civil society activists, and Nigerians in the diaspora to discredit the…

The Federal Government has attributed the protracted industrial dispute with the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) to deep-rooted structural and policy constraints, insisting that the standoff is not a product of neglect or indifference to the welfare of health workers. This is coming as resident doctors plan to commence a nationwide strike from January 12 over what they described as the government’s failure to fully meet their long-standing welfare and professional demands. Speaking on a television programme on Tuesday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the administration of President Bola Tinubu…

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Jibrin Samuel Okutepa, has called for swift arrests, public exposure and stiff sanctions against any lawyer or litigant who attempts to improperly influence judicial officers, warning that such acts pose a grave threat to the integrity of Nigeria’s justice system. Okutepa, who is the lead prosecuting counsel for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, made the call while reacting to reports of alleged private approaches to Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Abuja, over the ongoing N8.7bn money laundering trial involving a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami (SAN). Speaking against the…

Suspected gunmen, on Tuesday night, attacked the Old Oyo National Park Service office in Oloka, Orire Local Government Area of Oyo State, killing several officials in a daring assault that has again raised concerns over worsening insecurity around forest reserves in the South-West. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the attackers struck at about 9pm, overrunning the facility and shooting park personnel during the operation. While official figures were still being reconciled as of Wednesday, reliable sources disclosed that no fewer than five officials of the National Park Service were killed in the attack. Confirming the incident, the Conservator of the Park,…

A group of compulsorily retired Nigerian police officers has appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and enforce a subsisting court judgment ordering their reinstatement into the Nigeria Police Force. The officers, drawn from Courses 33, 34 and 35 of the Police Academy, made the appeal in a letter to the President, which was made public on Wednesday by their counsel, Adetoye Adejola. The affected officers, many of whom were enlisted into the force between 1996 and 2000, said they were unlawfully forced out of service despite not attaining the statutory retirement age of 60 years or completing the…