Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Government has ordered the immediate suspension of all Christian pilgrimages to Israel following the worsening security situation in the Middle East. The decision was announced on Tuesday by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Christian Pilgrim Commission, Stephen Adegbite, in a statement issued in Abuja and signed by the commission’s spokesperson, Celestine Toruka. Adegbite said the suspension became imperative in view of recent developments in Israel, including the declaration of a state of emergency, stressing that the safety and welfare of Nigerian pilgrims remained paramount. According to him, the directive affects all pilgrimage exercises to Israel, including those…

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, on Tuesday declared that the nationwide ban on sachet and small-volume alcoholic drinks remains the most effective strategy to combat rising underage drinking in Nigeria. Adeyeye spoke in Abuja at a press conference to mark the commencement of full enforcement of the prohibition on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and bottles below 200 millilitres. The enforcement, she said, would be jointly carried out by NAFDAC, the National Orientation Agency and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission. Citing a nationwide survey conducted in 2021,…

Aishah Waliyullah A Kano State High Court has sentenced two men to death by hanging for the brutal killing of a newlywed groom, Yazid Haruna, during a midnight robbery in Kano. The trial judge, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu of the Kano State High Court, convicted Aliyu Hussaini and Amir Zakariyya on three counts bordering on conspiracy, armed robbery and culpable homicide. Delivering judgment on Tuesday, Justice Adamu-Aliyu held that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and described the actions of the convicts as “inhuman and reprehensible.” The court heard that the incident occurred in the early hours of June…

Grace Adeleke The Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Bishop Matthew Kukah, has urged Nigerians to take responsibility for confronting injustice by understanding and asserting the rights guaranteed to them under the law. Kukah spoke on Monday in Abuja at a North-West regional conference on women and security, where he said the country’s persistent inequality and injustice were not solely due to a lack of constitutional provisions but largely because many citizens were unaware of, or unable to access, existing opportunities. The conference coincided with the close-out ceremony of a project titled “Strengthening Inclusive Peacebuilding and Access to Justice in the…

The management of the University of Calabar has suspended nine students for two academic sessions over their alleged involvement in examination malpractice and submission of forged academic results. The decision was taken at the institution’s 252nd Senate meeting following the consideration of reports presented by the Ad-Hoc Senate Committee on Examination Malpractice and the Senate Students’ Disciplinary Committee. According to findings submitted to the Senate, five of the affected students were apprehended inside examination halls with unauthorised materials, while four others were found to have presented forged academic credentials to the university. A letter signed by the Registrar, Dr Chukwuka…

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has proposed a minimum 14-day notice for telecom subscribers before their SIM cards are deactivated due to inactivity or post-paid churn. The recommendation is part of a consultation paper titled Stakeholders Consultation Process for the Telecoms Identity Risks Management Platform, dated February 2026, and published on the NCC website. Under the proposed changes to the Quality-of-Service (QoS) Business Rules, operators would be required to alert affected subscribers through an alternative phone line or email prior to churning their numbers. “This notification shall be sent at least 14 days before the final date for the churn…

$2.5bn Swap Set To Expand To $10bn For Smoother Trade … Move Expected To Reduce Demand For U.S. Dollar Daud Olatunji The federal government is in advanced talks with China to expand the existing Naira–Yuan currency swap from $2.5 billion to $10 billion, a move aimed at easing pressure on the U.S. dollar, stabilising the naira, and narrowing Nigeria’s $23 billion trade deficit with Beijing. Joseph Tegbe, Director-General of the Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership, said the expanded swap will allow Nigerian businesses to transact directly in yuan, eliminating the need to convert naira to dollars before trading with China. “A Nigerian…

A pastor and his wife have been arrested by men of the Bayelsà State Police Command over  alleged  rape of a 13-year-old girl (name withheld) in Yenagoa, the state capital. PLATFORM TIMES reports that police arrested the wife for  paying N120,000 for an illegal abortion for the girl, who is said to be her cousin. There was a drama when police stormed the church premises to arrest the suspects  during Sunday service, but,  the accused pastor escaped  through the back door but later submitted himself to the police after his wife was apprehended at the church premises. Eyewitnesses told newsmen…

…Net foreign reserves climb from $3.99bn in 2023 to $34.8bn in 2025 Nigeria’s net foreign reserves surged from $3.99 billion at the end of 2023 to $34.8 billion by December 2025, the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Yemi Cardoso, has disclosed. Cardoso described the jump as a “substantial strengthening” of the country’s external buffers, highlighting both the level and quality of reserves as markedly improved over the three-year period. He noted that the 2025 net reserves alone surpassed the total gross reserves recorded at the end of 2023, which stood at $33.22 billion. According to the CBN…

The Lagos Division of the Federal High Court has convicted and sentenced two men to a combined 40 years’ imprisonment for producing and distributing counterfeit alcoholic beverages in the state. The convicts, Otuorimuno Nelson Aziakpono, 58, and Ikegwuonu Davidson Ikechukwu, 28, were found guilty of manufacturing, possessing, selling and distributing adulterated and unregistered alcoholic drinks. Their conviction followed a December 3, 2025 enforcement raid carried out by the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control at Kojo Street, Ijanikin, and Vespa Market in Lagos. NAFDAC said its operatives uncovered large quantities of fake and unregistered alcoholic beverages, including…