Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Ogun State Cricket Association has declared its intention to leverage the gains made in upgrading cricket facilities during the ongoing 22nd National Sports Festival (NSF) by pursuing local and international competitions after the event. Speaking on Tuesday, May 20, during the opening match of the cricket event at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, the association’s chairman, Mr Oludare Kuforiji, expressed satisfaction with the improved facilities and the progress made in the sport’s development in the state. “It’s been a long journey,” Kuforiji said. “We used to have just one cricket pitch in Abeokuta. Now, we have two…

The National Sports Commission has barred six athletes, including Nigerian boxers Cynthia Ogunsemilore and Dolapo Omole, from participating in the ongoing 2024 National Sports Festival in Ogun State over doping violations. The commission, during a joint meeting of the Main Organising Committee and the Local Organising Committee on Monday, reaffirmed its stance on zero tolerance for doping, stating that athletes currently under anti-doping sanctions are ineligible to compete for medals at the festival, tagged Gateway Games 2024. This decision, the NSC said, aligns with global best practices and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code. Director-General of the Commission, Bukola Olopade,…

The word altogether and the expression all together appear to be close in meaning whereas they are quite different from each other. While altogether is an adverb which also means completely, totally, entirely, absolutely etc., all together is a phrase which implies everyone or everything in a group gathered in one place or at the same time. Below are examples of their usages: There’s no half-way execution of the project. It has to be done altogether. Please, bring your clothes and bags for me to arrange them all together. However, if you are still confused, just replace any of the…

The Centre for Islamic Propagation in Africa (CIPA) has called for restraint and support for the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, in the wake of technical hitches recorded during the recently concluded 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). In a statement signed by its Amir and President, Ustaadh Uthman Abdul Quadr .O., CIPA noted that while computer-related glitches disrupted examinations in some centres, it would be unfair to use the incident as a tool for criticism against the JAMB boss. “It is no longer news that the 2025 UTME experienced technical errors in…

A staff member of Ecobank Nigeria, Solomon Stephen Ufayo, has been remanded in the Ikoyi Correctional Centre for allegedly engaging in cybercrime involving the fraudulent transfer of over N2.4 million. The banker was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Lagos Zonal Command, before Justice Yellim Bogoro of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrime. According to the charge, Ufayo, who worked as a Relief Teller at Ecobank, was accused of impersonating a customer, Ogunfodunrin Omowunmi Ajoke, between March 10 and March 28, 2025. He allegedly posted fictitious deposit and…

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has accused the Nigerian judiciary of being riddled with corruption, alleging that many judges and lawyers have compromised the integrity of the legal system. Speaking on Monday at the Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Bwari Branch, in Abuja, El-Rufai lamented that public confidence in the judiciary has significantly eroded due to delayed justice, procedural inefficiencies, and what he described as “judicial compromise.” In the  text of the former governor’s address was shared with journalists, El-Rufai said “Our judiciary—meant to be the bedrock of fairness and order—is under intense scrutiny. “The rise…

Daud Olatunji  A new wave of petrol importation valued at over N436bn within just nine days has intensified the standoff between independent oil marketers and the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, deepening tensions in Nigeria’s downstream oil sector. Findings from a Tanker Position Report obtained  on Monday revealed that 370,000 metric tonnes of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), equivalent to about 496.17 million litres, were discharged at various Nigerian ports between May 11 and 20, 2025. At an average landing cost of N879.48 per litre, the import bill for this short window translates to over N436.37bn — a massive financial outlay amid the…

Daud Olatunji Defending champions, Team Delta, wasted no time in laying down the gauntlet at the 2024 National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, storming to the top of the medals table in what already looks like a bold statement of intent for a fifth consecutive title. With the festival just two days old, Delta turned up the heat, snatching pole position from early leaders Team Cross River after bagging three gold and one silver—a performance led by Confidence Onyema, who struck twice in Kung Fu, and weightlifters Favour Mike and Edirin Agha, who claimed gold and silver respectively. Cross…

The House of Representatives has approved a 10-year security cover for investigative journalist Umar Audu following his explosive undercover report that exposed a thriving certificate racketeering syndicate involving degree mills in the Benin Republic. Audu, a reporter with Daily Nigerian, had detailed how he obtained a university degree without attending a single class and subsequently had it verified by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education after allegedly paying a bribe of N40,000. Chairman of the ad hoc committee investigating the scandal, Hon. Abubakar Fulata, disclosed the House’s resolution at a session in Abuja. He said the Nigeria Police Force…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Monday dismissed a N50 billion fundamental rights enforcement suit filed by the former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Philip Shaibu, against former Governor Godwin Obaseki and four others. Justice Peter Lifu threw out the case following an application for withdrawal by Shaibu’s lawyer, Anita Oteh, who told the court that parties had reached a settlement. Oteh explained that the issues in the suit had been resolved amicably, prompting her client to discontinue the matter. However, counsel to the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Aliyu Abdulkadir, who was listed as the fourth defendant, said…