Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered MTN Nigeria Communications Ltd. and the Registrar of Trademark, Patent & Designs to pay N840 million in damages for infringing on the registered trademark “WEBPLUS” owned by Citilink Accesscorp Limited. Delivering judgment in suit FHC/L/CS/1124/2014, Justice Daniel Osiagor ruled that MTN unlawfully used the “WEBPLUS” trademark, which was legally registered under Class 9 of the Trademark Registry by Citilink Accesscorp. The judge also issued a perpetual injunction restraining MTN and the Registrar from registering or issuing certificates for “WEBPLUS,” “WEB+,” “MTN WEBPLUS,” or any similar variations under Classes 9, 16, and 38…

Troops of the 6 Division, Nigerian Army, have intensified their crackdown on oil theft, destroying 19 illegal refineries and confiscating over 138,000 litres of stolen petroleum products in recent operations across the Niger Delta. A statement signed on Sunday by the Acting Deputy Director, 6 Division Army Public Relations, Lieutenant Colonel Danjuma Jonah Danjuma, revealed that the operations, driven by intelligence-led strategies, also led to the arrest of 12 suspected oil thieves. Providing a breakdown of the recent efforts, Lt. Col. Danjuma disclosed that a tanker laden with 60,000 litres of stolen crude oil was intercepted along the Apajo–Iwoji–Iwofe Road…

An inspector attached to the police command in Cross River State has allegedly killed a woman and injured two others in sporadic fatal shootings on Sunday. The spokesperson of the command, SP Irene Ugbo, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Calabar on Sunday. She said that the policeman acted strangely before the shootings. Ugbo said the officer, who was attached to Atakpa Divisional Police Station, had returned from a night beat at a microfinance bank before the shootings. She, however, said the police had arrested the suspect while the two injured victims were receiving medical…

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested eight students of Ifo High School over alleged involvement in cult-related activities within the school premises. The students, aged between 15 and 16, were identified as Bennett Bolawatife, Aluko Taiwo, Kehinde Aluko, Omolaso Waris, Akinola Ifeoluwa, Azeez Hassan, Kilani Babatunde (also known as Soldier), and Fasedemi Samuel. According to the state police spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, the arrest followed an alarm raised by the school authorities over an emerging gang of student cultists. She disclosed that the students were apprehended around 12:05 p.m. on Friday by operatives of the Ifo Divisional Police Headquarters in…

The Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has cautioned officers of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) against the unlawful prolonged detention of suspects, stressing the need for strict adherence to constitutional provisions on personal liberty. Egbetokun’s directive was contained in a statement issued on Sunday by the Force Public Relations Officer, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi. He described the abuse of detention timelines as a violation of fundamental human rights and warned that erring officers would face severe consequences. “The adherence to legally stipulated detention periods is not only a legal obligation but also a fundamental aspect of upholding the dignity and…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted a 42-year-old Indian lady at the Malam Aminu Kano International Airport (MAKIA), Kano, with 72 parcels of heroin. A statement by NDLEA’s director of media and advocacy, Femi Babafemi, on Sunday in Abuja said the prohibited substances were factory-sealed in wafer wraps and packaged as chocolates. Mr Babafemi said the class A drug consignment weighing 11 kilogrammes was recovered from her luggage after a thorough search. He said this followed credible intelligence during an inward clearance of Qatar Airways flight QR1431 from Bangkok, Thailand, via Vietnam and Doha at the arrival…

No fewer than 13,171 Nigerians who sought refugee protection in Canada between January 2013 and December 2024 had their applications rejected, according to official data from the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. PLATFORM TIMES reports that in 2024 alone, 811 Nigerian applicants were denied asylum, placing Nigeria among the top five countries with the highest number of rejected refugee claims. The other nations on the list include Mexico (2,954 rejections), India (1,688), Haiti (982), and Colombia (723). The Refugee Protection Division (RPD) of the IRB evaluates asylum seekers based on the United Nations’ definition of a Convention refugee, which…

Ayomide Awe Prince Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the recent general elections, has reaffirmed the party’s steadfast commitment to its core principles amidst recent political developments. In a press conference held in Abuja, Adebayo categorically ruled out any coalition talks with other political entities, asserting that the SDP remains dedicated to upholding its independence and principles. The statement comes in the wake of the defection of former Kaduna State governor Nasir El-Rufai and Otunba Jimi Lawal, a former factional governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, into the SDP.…

Daud Olatunji Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has raised concerns over the indiscriminate drilling of boreholes in residential areas, particularly in Abeokuta, Ogun State, warning that the practice poses significant long-term environmental and water security risks. Obasanjo issued the warning  through a statement by  his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Akinyemi, over the weekend during a visit by the management and staff of the Ogun-Osun River Basin Development Authority (O-ORDA) in commemoration of World Water Day. He lamented that successive administrations had abandoned the Oyan Dam project, leading to an overreliance on boreholes, which could have devastating consequences. Recounting the history…

The Federal Government will begin repaying a $500m concessional loan obtained from the International Development Association, a financing arm of the World Bank, from 2029 to 2054. The loan, secured under the Nigeria Primary Healthcare Provision Strengthening Programme (HOPE-PHC), aims to enhance the country’s primary healthcare system, focusing on maternal and child health, emergency medical services, and pandemic preparedness. According to details of the financing agreement, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare will manage the funds in collaboration with key agencies, including the National Primary Healthcare Development Agency, the National Health Insurance Authority, and the Nigeria Centre for…