Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Six Nigerian Law School students en route to the Yola campus have been abducted by suspected kidnappers who are now demanding a ransom of N20 million for each student, totaling N120 million. The victims, identified as Rev. Ernest Okafor, Ogbuka Fabian, Nwamma Philip, Okechukwu Obadiegwu, Obalem Emmanuel, and Obiorah David, were reportedly travelling from Onitsha, Anambra State, to resume studies after their court externship when they were kidnapped on Saturday, July 26, along the Wukari–Benue axis. Multiple sources confirmed that the students were intercepted along a notorious stretch of road between Taraba and Benue states, a region increasingly plagued by…

…To Rename FIRS as Nigeria Revenue Service by January 2026 The Federal Government has directed banks and other financial institutions in Nigeria to begin submitting detailed monthly reports of high-value transactions to tax authorities, as part of an intensified crackdown on tax evasion and illicit financial flows. According to provisions under the newly amended Nigerian Tax Act, effective from January 2026, banks will be required to report all individual transactions exceeding ₦25 million and corporate transactions surpassing ₦100 million within a single month to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), which will be rebranded as the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS).…

…Says IPPIS Removal, Full Retirement Pay Among Major Wins The immediate-past National President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, has declared that the union’s sustained struggles during the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari prevented the total collapse of Nigeria’s public university system. Speaking at a reception organised in his honour on Monday at the ASUU Secretariat of the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, Abia State, Osodeke described the Buhari era, particularly under former Labour Minister Chris Ngige, as a difficult period for the education sector. He said ASUU had to endure numerous battles,…

A 27-year-old bride, identified as Merit Alice, has been arrested by the Delta State Police Command for allegedly faking her own kidnap to escape pressure after squandering N3.6 million meant for her brother’s tricycle purchase. Alice, who confessed to the crime, admitted that she diverted the money to fund her lavish bridal shower and lodge her friends in hotels during her wedding held in March 2025. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the suspect staged her abduction after her brother began to demand a refund of the funds he entrusted to her. “In her confession,…

The Federal Government has disclosed that Nigeria suffers an annual economic loss of between ₦13.3 trillion and ₦17.9 trillion due to hepatitis-related health and productivity costs, while an estimated 4,252 Nigerians die each year from liver cancer linked to untreated hepatitis infections. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, made this known on Monday during a media briefing to mark the 2025 World Hepatitis Day, themed “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down.” Represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr.Dr Godwin Ntadom, the minister described Nigeria’s hepatitis crisis as “a silent epidemic,” revealing that the country ranks…

Twenty-two teenagers from the historic city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, were on Sunday honoured for achieving a rare religious feat—memorising the entire Glorious Qur’an. The young scholars, all under the age of 18, graduated from the Rowdotu-t-Tanzeel Tahfeez Arabic School at a grand ceremony marking the fourth edition of the school’s annual Qur’an memorisation and Islamic education graduation. The event drew a large gathering of Islamic scholars, academics, dignitaries, and proud parents from within and outside Nigeria, with some participants also joining virtually. With flawless recitations, the young graduates moved the audience to tears, showcasing not just their mastery of…

Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying they are rekindling investor confidence and stimulating growth in Nigeria’s private sector. Dangote made this known over the weekend when the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, visited the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. Describing President Tinubu as a “listening leader,” Dangote lauded key policy moves such as the “Naira-for-Crude” initiative and the “Nigeria First” strategy, which he said have significantly improved crude oil supply to domestic refineries and introduced greater stability…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has refuted claims that he allocated 501 hectares of land in Abuja to a Ghanaian businessman, Sam Jonah, for the development of River Park Estate. Obasanjo’s denial was contained in a letter dated July 10, 2025, addressed to the Inspector General of Police in response to an earlier inquiry dated July 4, 2025. Sam Jonah, a Knight of the British Empire and founder of Jonah Capital, had alleged in a petition to the police that the ex-president granted him ownership of the vast land where the sprawling River Park Estate in Lugbe, Abuja, now stands. But…

A former Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, has urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently reform Nigeria’s security architecture by reducing military involvement in domestic security and repositioning the Police as the lead agency for internal security. Ehindero made the call on Sunday in Akure, Ondo State, during the 20th anniversary and 16th Passing-Out Parade of the Police Secondary School. The former police boss stressed the need for the government to deploy the Police Mobile Force to take over tasks currently handled by the military within Nigerian communities, while the military focuses strictly on securing the nation’s borders from terrorist infiltration.…

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, has charged the newly appointed management of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) to ensure the agency remains a strong pillar in the nation’s quest for economic stability and prosperity. Edun gave the charge in Abuja while inaugurating Mr. Thompson Oludare Sunday as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Kabir Sabo Katata as Executive Director (Operations) of the NDIC. Describing the NDIC as a vital component of Nigeria’s financial safety net, Edun said the agency must redouble efforts to ensure depositor protection and institutional resilience in…