Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Sunday, officially declared open the 22nd edition of the National Sports Festival (NSF), tagged Gateway Games 2024, at the MKO Abiola International Stadium, Abeokuta, Ogun State. Represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, the President described the biennial event as a vital platform for national unity, cohesion, and a symbol of renewed hope for Nigerians. “Indeed, nothing has brought the nation together like sport — whether on the pitch, in the court, or on the track,” Tinubu stated. “We are reminded daily that we are not strangers to one another, but compatriots drawn from…

No fewer than 34,289 Nigerians were granted U.S. citizenship through naturalisation between 2020 and 2022, data from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has revealed. According to the latest Naturalisations Annual Flow Report, Nigeria ranked 15th among the top 20 countries of birth for naturalised citizens within the three-year period, making it the highest-ranking African nation on the list. The report, compiled by the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, draws data from Form N-400 applications submitted by prospective citizens and various U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) systems, including electronic case files and the Central Index System. A breakdown of…

A tragic incident unfolded in the Nsukka area of Enugu State as a man identified simply as Ogbonna, popularly known as Mourinho, allegedly murdered his ex-girlfriend, Chisom Ayogu, after she informed him of her impending marriage. According to reports, the deceased, a native of Amufie in Igbo-Eze North Local Government Area, visited the suspect at his residence on New Anglican Road, Nsukka, to share news of her forthcoming wedding. The meeting, however, turned fatal. Sources revealed that during the visit, an altercation ensued, leading to an alleged violent attack by Ogbonna on the unsuspecting lady. Neighbours who were alerted to…

A suspected kidnap kingpin, Yahaya Zango, who has reportedly been on the run from law enforcement agencies, has been arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) at the Hajj camp of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The suspect, said to be a resident of the Paikon-Kore community in Gwagwalada Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), was apprehended on Sunday while undergoing screening as part of a group of intending Muslim pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia for this year’s Hajj. A security source, who confirmed the arrest to Daily Trust, said Zango was picked up…

Residents of Eche Ezema community in Ibagwa-Aka, Igbo-Eze South Local Government Area of Enugu State, have been thrown into mourning following the gruesome murder of four siblings allegedly by a pastor of a local sabbath church. The victims — Kamsiyochukwu Ezema (7), Ezinne Ezema (6), Ujunwa Ezema (5), and Chinedu Ezema (2) — were reportedly killed with a pestle while alone at home. The suspect, identified only as a pastor, is currently in police custody at the Ibagwa-Aka Divisional Police Station. Confirming the heartbreaking incident to The Punch, a family source said the pastor allegedly scaled the fence separating his…

Former President of the United States, Joe Biden, has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer, a statement from his personal office confirmed on Sunday. According to the statement, the 82-year-old was recently evaluated after experiencing worsening urinary symptoms. Further examinations revealed a prostate nodule, leading to a diagnosis of prostate cancer, classified with a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5), indicating a high-grade and aggressive tumour. The cancer, the statement disclosed, has metastasised to the bone, which typically signifies an advanced stage of the disease. “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the…

Healthcare and legal professionals across Nigeria and the diaspora have called on the Federal Government to urgently implement the Mental Health Act, warning that the continued delay is undermining national development and worsening the country’s mental health crisis. The call was made at the second Mental Health and Law Colloquium, themed “From Mental Health Legislation to Action: The Time is Now”. The event, held in a hybrid format, brought together mental health experts, legal practitioners, policymakers, and advocates united in their demand for swift action. Dr. Agboola, Provost of Aro Psychiatric Hospital, Abeokuta, who addressed journalists after the colloquium, expressed…

A broadcast journalist and political commentator, Olalekan Shoyinka, has faulted the recent claim by the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that Governor Dapo Abiodun deliberately sidelined some regions of the state from hosting the ongoing National Sports Festival. Reacting to a statement credited to Hon. Abayomi Tella, a PDP chieftain, Shoyinka described the allegation as baseless and reflective of a pattern of “opposition for opposition’s sake.” In a piece titled “Ogun Needs Responsible Opposition, Not Baseless Accusations,” Shoyinka warned that the state’s opposition must move beyond “divisive rhetoric” and engage in fact-based criticism if it intends…

The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has lashed out at Governor Dapo Abiodun over what it described as the “blatant exclusion” of Ogun West and the Ijebu axis of Ogun East from the hosting of the upcoming National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2025. In a strongly worded statement signed by its chairman, Hon. Abayomi Tella, and made available to PLATFORM TIMES on Sunday, the opposition party accused the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government of promoting regional bias and deepening lines of marginalisation through the lopsided distribution of festival venues. According to the PDP, none of…

Tragedy struck in Ifon, Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State, as the Ward 5 Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Nelson Adepoyigi, was gruesomely murdered by his abductors after a ransom was paid for his release. Adepoyigi was kidnapped last Monday while attempting to park his vehicle at his residence. His abduction sent shockwaves across the community, prompting urgent calls for his release. The kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of N100 million but later reduced it to N5 million after extensive negotiations. However, in a disturbing turn of events, two volunteers from Ifon who went to deliver…