Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Pastor and Spiritual Head of the Celestial Church of Christ Worldwide, Reverend Emmanuel Mobiyina Oshoffa, has condemned the proliferation of unauthorised theological seminaries within the church, warning that certificates issued by such institutions would not be recognised. Oshoffa, in a memo dated March 16, 2026, and addressed to all church regions, districts, zones, and shepherds, accused some operators of illegally using his name to legitimise their activities. He described the development as disturbing and cautioned those behind the seminaries to immediately desist from issuing what he termed fake certificates to unsuspecting seminarians. “It has come to my attention that…

Babcock University has announced a ₦10 million hackathon as the highlight of its second annual Babcock Tech Week (BTW), scheduled to hold from March 22 to 28, 2026. The week-long event, themed “Tethered — Connected Across Disciplines,” is organised by the Babcock University Computer Club in collaboration with the Finance Students Association, Google Developer Groups on Campus, Babcock, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Babcock. Unlike its maiden edition, the organisers said this year’s programme would accommodate participants beyond the university community, positioning it as one of the most inclusive student-driven innovation events in Nigeria. At the centre…

Aishah Waliyullah The 39th edition of the Lisabi Festival has commenced in Abeokuta, Ogun State, with organisers placing strong emphasis on apprenticeship training and the preservation of Egba cultural heritage. Chairman of the Lisabi Festival Committee, Chief Rasheed Raji, disclosed this during a press conference, noting that this year’s celebration, scheduled to run from March 14 to March 29, would feature a blend of cultural displays and developmental initiatives. Raji said the theme, “Integrating Apprenticeship Training into Education,” was deliberately chosen to address the growing need for practical skills among Nigerian youths. He explained that the programme timetable was adjusted…

By Maryam Ogunremi  Yes, you read that right  I am sure you ran to the body of that heading because you don’t agree with me on it. Just walk with me on this journey and you will understand why Nigerians are the most organised beings on this planet. Well, you can argue that they are not as organised as some other animals like ants. I will say yes and no. We all know that ants work together for the greater good. When you see an ant eating some goodies, you will soon see a lot of them gather on that…

The Ogun 1 Area Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) has seized contraband goods worth N1.35 billion and handed over 2,547 parcels of Cannabis Sativa to the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at the Idiroko Special Command. The contraband, intercepted from various locations across the state, included 2,539 kegs of vegetable oil, 4,325 cartons of foreign spaghetti, 1,204 bags of foreign parboiled rice, 545 kegs of petrol, 50 bags of imported sugar, 13 used tyres, eight bales of second-hand clothing, two used vehicles, and other prohibited items. Addressing journalists at the command headquarters on Monday, Acting Customs Area…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has ordered the immediate recall of all batches of MR.7 Super 700000 capsules following safety concerns over undeclared pharmaceutical ingredients. The agency, in a notice released on Monday, said the recall was prompted by findings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which detected the presence of sildenafil and tadalafil—active drugs used to treat erectile dysfunction—in the product. NAFDAC explained that these substances are phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors. Since they were not listed on the product label, MR.7 Super 700000 capsules are considered unapproved drugs whose safety and efficacy…

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) of attempting to coerce him to abandon political activities as a condition for his release from detention. In a 30-page criminal complaint filed before a federal court, El-Rufai named ICPC chairman Musa Adamu Aliyu and four other agency officials, alleging that they told him he would only regain his freedom if he stopped participating in politics. The former governor claimed that during his detention, ICPC officers, acting under the authority of the chairman, repeatedly warned that continued political engagement could prolong his…

Two suspected commanders of the terrorist group Ansaru, Mahmud Usman and Abubakar Abba, have admitted receiving weapons and explosives training in Libya, a State Security Service (SSS) operative told the Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday. The witness, appearing under the codename “Triple A,” testified as the first prosecution witness in the terrorism trial, explaining that the confessions were made in a “conducive atmosphere” without coercion. According to Triple A, the suspects received training in the manufacture of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) from instructors from Egypt, Tunisia, and Algeria while in Libya. Usman, identified as the leader of Jama’atu…

… Most Nigerian Children Leave School Without Essential Skills … Reading proficiency at 12.7%, math at 6.3% for primary pupils …Health, Nutrition  Linked To Learning Outcomes Daud Olatunji Nigeria’s primary school pupils are struggling to acquire basic reading and mathematics skills, with only 1 in 10 children meeting minimum learning standards, a new report has revealed. The National Primary-Level Learning Proficiency Statistics from Africa, compiled by education researcher Martin Gustafsson, shows that just 9.5 per cent of Nigerian pupils reach the required level of proficiency by the end of primary school. The study analysed harmonised assessment data from 47 African…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arraigned a cargo vessel, MV Nord Bosporus, alongside 10 Filipino nationals before the Federal High Court in Lagos over the alleged importation of 20 kilogrammes of cocaine into Nigeria. The suspects were brought before Justice Ayokunle Faji on Monday on a four-count charge bordering on conspiracy and unlawful importation of narcotics. Prosecuting counsel for the anti-drug agency, Theresa Asuquo, told the court that the defendants were arrested on November 16, 2025, at the GDNL Terminal of the Apapa Port in Lagos. She alleged that the accused persons conspired to smuggle 20 kilogrammes of…