Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, says he is willing to champion an amnesty campaign for the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, but only if the separatist agitator publicly renounces violence. Kanu is currently serving a life sentence after he was convicted of terrorism by Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja. Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast programme on Tuesday, Gumi insisted that dialogue, not force, remains Nigeria’s most realistic path to resolving its worsening security crises. He argued that the Nigerian military is ill-equipped for prolonged guerrilla warfare, adding that…

Twenty-four schoolgirls abducted by terrorists in Maga, Kebbi State, have regained their freedom, a week after they were seized in an early-morning raid that sparked nationwide outrage. The students were kidnapped at dawn on Monday, November 17, shortly after a military detachment reportedly withdrew from the school premises—a development that raised questions over security lapses in vulnerable communities. President Bola Tinubu, in a statement issued on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, welcomed the release of the girls and commended security agencies for what he described as “swift and coordinated action.” Their release comes amid…

The Federal Government on Tuesday dismissed reports claiming it had imposed a nationwide ban on open grazing, insisting that no such policy has been declared. The Ministry of Livestock Development, in a statement signed by its Head of Press and Public Relations, Oghenekevwe Uchechukwu, said the Minister, Alhaji Idi Maiha, only reaffirmed that the country is currently undergoing a phased transition from traditional open grazing to modern ranching systems. According to the ministry, the transition plan is designed to be systematic rather than abrupt, given the country’s existing livestock infrastructure and economic realities. Uchechukwu explained that Nigeria has 273 gazetted…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed security agencies to launch an intensive manhunt across forests in Kwara, Kebbi and parts of Niger State following renewed cases of kidnapping and terrorist activities in the region. The directive, issued on Tuesday, was announced by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Public Communication, Sunday Dare, via a post on his verified X handle. According to Dare, Tinubu ordered a full security cordon around major forests in the affected states, where armed groups are believed to be keeping abducted victims and coordinating attacks. He said the President also instructed the Nigerian Air Force…

As Nigeria joined the global community to mark World Children’s Day, key stakeholders — including UNICEF, senior journalists and government officials — have warned that Nigeria risks deeper social and economic decline unless urgent action is taken to safeguard millions of vulnerable children. Speaking at a panel session on Tuesday in Lagos, participants decried the rising cases of insecurity, poor access to education, and widening inequality affecting children nationwide, insisting that the country cannot achieve meaningful development while millions of its young citizens remain unprotected. UNICEF Deputy Country Representative, Ronak Nkan, said this year’s theme, “My Day, My Rights,” underscores…

A U.S. District Court in Baltimore, Maryland, has sentenced a 29-year-old Nigerian, Temitope Bashua, to 30 months in federal prison for his role in a multi-year scheme that exploited America’s COVID-19 relief programmes and defrauded the government of more than $290,000. Bashua, who pleaded guilty, will also serve two years of supervised release after completing his jail term. The sentence, delivered on November 20, 2025 by Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher, followed Bashua’s admission that he conspired with others to steal unemployment insurance (UI) benefits and obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) using the stolen identities of unsuspecting victims. According to…

Nine days after terrorists kidnapped 24 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, the Federal Government on Tuesday announced their rescue, insisting that no ransom was paid. President Bola Tinubu, who welcomed the development, hailed the security agencies for what he described as a determined operation to secure the girls’ release. The schoolgirls were abducted at dawn on November 17, shortly after a military detachment reportedly left the school premises — a withdrawal that triggered public anger and intense scrutiny. Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, who received the students in…

Firdaus Obiremi The Promoting Education for Indigent Children Foundation (PEFIC) on Tuesday donated textbooks and other learning materials to 36 pupils from 12 public primary schools in Abeokuta, Ogun State, ahead of the 2025/2026 academic session. The event, held at Imo Methodist Primary School, Oke-Yeke, Isabo, marked the foundation’s first major outreach since its official registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission in August and certification by the EFCC’s Special Control Unit Against Money Laundering in September. Speaking at the ceremony, Alhaji Lateef  Oridota, convener of PEFIC, said the initiative was driven by the desire to give back to the less…

Nigeria is facing an orchestrated and escalating wave of violence designed to destabilise the nation, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, declared on Tuesday during a rare special plenary session held exclusively on national security. The House suspended all regular business to address what Abbas described as “a coordinated and deeply troubling escalation of violence” across several states, including mass killings, school abductions and kidnappings inside worship centres. Abbas said the pattern of attacks suggested a deliberate plot “to instil fear, weaken public confidence, and create the illusion that violent groups can act without restraint,” warning that the…

The Ondo State Police Command has arrested two students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), over the alleged drugging and rape of a 20-year-old female undergraduate. The police spokesperson, DSP Olushola Ayanlade, confirmed the arrest on Monday, describing the case as part of the command’s intensified clampdown on serious crimes involving young people. According to police findings, the victim had honoured an invitation from her longtime friend, 19-year-old Queen Sodo, who allegedly offered her a drink later discovered to have been spiked. The victim reportedly became unconscious shortly after consuming the beverage. Sodo was said to have left the room…