Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Warn Of Religious Crisis, Demand Immediate Reversal Daud Olatunji The League of Imams and Alfas has faulted the Ogun State Government’s proposed plan to return public schools to missionary organisations, warning that the move could trigger religious tension and undermine decades of peaceful coexistence. In a strongly worded rejoinder signed by its Secretary-General, Imam Tajudeen Mustafa Adewunmi, the group described the policy as ill-advised, provocative and unjustifiable, insisting that it threatens the principles of equity, justice and religious balance in the state. The state governor, Dapo Abiodun had earlier promised   on behalf of the state government to handover some state…

The African Democratic Congress in Kano State has ceded 60 per cent of its state executive structure to former governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso following the emergence of new party leaders at a congress held on Sunday. The development came as the party concluded its state congress at the Cobra Stadium in Magajin Rumfa, where Abdullahi Maikano was elected chairman alongside 33 other executive members. Details of the exercise showed that Bala Inuwa emerged as secretary, Abba Muktar as treasurer, while Salisu Muhammad was elected financial secretary. Other officials include Muhammad Yahaya as legal adviser, Farida Kamba as women leader and…

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has adjusted the arrival time for candidates sitting the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination following widespread criticism over its earlier schedule. The examination body announced on Monday that candidates scheduled for the first session would now be required to arrive at their Computer-Based Test centres by 7:00 a.m., instead of the previously stipulated 6:30 a.m. JAMB disclosed this in a notice posted on its official X (formerly Twitter) handle, stating that the examination would commence at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m. “Attention 2026 UTME candidates: This is to notify you of a…

Parents of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls have renewed calls for urgent and coordinated action to secure the release of the 87 girls still in captivity, 12 years after their abduction by insurgents in Borno State. In an open letter issued on Monday to mark the anniversary of the April 14, 2014 incident, the parents appealed to the Federal Government, the United Nations, and the international community not to relent in efforts to bring back the remaining victims. The statement, signed by Yana Galang and Zanna Lawan on behalf of the parents, described the continued absence of the girls as a…

A coalition of Muslim vanguards and key stakeholders in Ogun State has intensified calls for the emergence of a Muslim governorship candidate ahead of the 2027 elections, citing the need for fairness, inclusivity, and balanced representation in the state’s political leadership. The group, under the aegis of Ogun Muslim Vanguards, made its position known during a press conference on Sunday, where its President, Amir Sanusi Daud, urged political parties to prioritise equity in their candidate selection processes. The advocacy, themed “Ogun 2027 – Consideration for a Muslim Candidate for Fair Representation Across Region and Religion,” seeks to address what the…

The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria, Ogun State Area Unit, on Sunday faulted the reported plan by Governor Dapo Abiodun to return public schools to their original missionary owners, describing the move as discriminatory and detrimental to public education. The group, in a statement issued on April 12, 2026, and signed by its Amir, AbdulFatah Akanni Adigun, condemned the governor’s declaration allegedly made on April 10 while hosting Catholic Church officials, including the Apostolic Nuncio to Nigeria and bishops from Ijebu-Ode and Abeokuta. The statement said the proposed policy, if implemented, would undermine educational access, threaten religious harmony, and violate…

Islamic cleric, Ahmad Gumi, has called for a probe by the National Assembly into recent Nigerian Air Force airstrikes that reportedly led to civilian casualties, insisting that expressions of sympathy by authorities are insufficient. Gumi, in a statement shared on Sunday, questioned the conduct of military operations and demanded accountability from those responsible for the strikes. “Terror cannot be fought with another terror. There should be an immediate Senate hearing on these so-called ‘mistakes’ involving the bombing of villages, markets and other civilian targets. We need answers, not condolences,” he said. The cleric specifically queried the identities and actions of…

The Rivers State Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old man, Otamiri Prince, over his alleged involvement in the kidnapping and rape of a young woman in Port Harcourt. The command’s spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, disclosed in a statement on Sunday that the suspect was apprehended following a complaint lodged on April 11, 2026. According to the police, the victim, identified as Alice Thomas, was allegedly lured by a man she met on social media to a meeting point in Port Harcourt before she was deceitfully transported to Igwuruta. She was subsequently taken by the suspect and his accomplices to a bush…

The Amnesty International has raised fresh concerns over Nigeria’s deepening insecurity, revealing that no fewer than 1,100 persons were kidnapped across northern parts of the country between January and April 2026. In a statement on Sunday, the rights organisation described the wave of abductions as alarming, warning that it reflects a growing failure of authorities to safeguard lives and property in vulnerable communities. According to the group, victims of the abductions are often subjected to brutal treatment, including torture, starvation, rape and other inhumane conditions, while many remain in captivity for extended periods. The Country Director of Amnesty International Nigeria,…

At least 56 people, mostly traders, have been killed in an accidental airstrike on Jilli weekly market along the border communities of Borno State and Yobe State, in what has triggered fresh concerns over civilian safety in counter-insurgency operations in the North-East. The incident, which occurred on Saturday afternoon at Jilli Market between Gubio and Geidam Local Government Areas, left several others injured, with 14 victims currently receiving treatment at the Specialist Hospital in Geidam. Multiple eyewitness accounts and local officials said the strike was carried out during a military operation targeting suspected Boko Haram insurgents believed to have been…