Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Nigeria Police Force to pay ₦10 million in damages to 22 citizens and three civil society organisations for the unlawful arrest and detention of #EndSARS memorial protesters in October 2024. Justice Musa Kakaki, in a judgment delivered on Thursday, ruled that the police violated the fundamental rights of the protesters who had gathered peacefully at the Lekki Tollgate to commemorate the fourth anniversary of the #EndSARS demonstrations. The applicants — including notable rights advocates such as Hassan Taiwo Soweto, Ugochukwu Prince, and Aisha Omolara — were arrested and held for…

The ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on Thursday officially named Minister of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Dr. Nentawe Yilwatda, as its new national chairman in a high-stakes move aimed at repositioning the party ahead of the 2027 general elections. His emergence was ratified during the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting held in Abuja, where top party leaders gathered to deliberate on the future of the party amid internal realignments and electoral pressures. The NEC adopted Yilwatda’s appointment as a “consensus decision,” a development which insiders described as both strategic and symbolic in light of the party’s recent internal…

…Leads In Cervical, Anal, Oral Cancers — FG The Federal Government has raised concerns over Nigeria’s mounting cancer crisis, revealing that the country accounts for nearly half of all cervical cancer cases reported across West Africa. Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Salako, disclosed this on Tuesday at the official launch of a Mobile Truck Clinic, an HPV Molecular Laboratory, and a Research Hub at the University of Ibadan’s College of Medicine. Describing the situation as “deeply alarming,” Salako said Nigeria alone contributes approximately 50 percent of the cervical cancer burden in the region, along…

A civil society organisation, Paradigm Leadership Support Initiative (PLSI), has raised alarm over the alleged diversion of over N103.8 billion and $950,912 by 31 federal ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs), urging Nigeria’s top anti-graft bodies to take urgent action. PLSI, in a statement on Wednesday, described the findings of the House of Representatives Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as damning, saying the scale of financial infractions uncovered in the 2019 and 2020 Auditor-General’s reports exposes a deeply rooted culture of impunity in the civil service. “This is not just poor accounting; it is outright economic sabotage,” the group said, demanding that…

A Magistrates’ Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, on Tuesday sentenced a 25-year-old man, Obaseki Friday, to three days of community service after he was found guilty of stealing yams worth N1.2 million from three different farms. The court, presided over by Magistrate Olubunmi Bamidele, handed down the sentence after Friday pleaded guilty to the charges brought against him and the facts of the case were reviewed. The convict was ordered to serve the three-day sentence through community service within the court premises. According to the prosecutor, Olubu Apata, the offence was committed around 6 a.m. on July 20 at…

A fire outbreak on Wednesday engulfed an off-campus apartment housing students of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), destroying several personal belongings and leaving occupants stranded. The incident occurred at the Amazing Glory Villa, located behind Ace Bar in the Ijagun area of Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State. The blaze, suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault, quickly spread through multiple rooms before firefighters arrived. Eyewitnesses said the fire broke out in the afternoon, catching many students unprepared. In a viral video obtained by PLATFORM TIMES, thick smoke and flames could be seen billowing from the affected building as students…

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a 36-year-old man, Yaman Patigi, over alleged collaboration with a kidnap syndicate operating in Patigi Local Government Area of the state. The suspect was reportedly caught purchasing a suspiciously large quantity of food and beverages—including N20,000 worth of suya, spaghetti, cigarettes, alcoholic drinks, and other provisions—believed to be meant for kidnappers hiding in a forest within the council area. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that residents of Patigi raised the alarm after noticing the suspect’s bulk purchases and inconsistent responses to questions.. Their tip-off led to his arrest and subsequent handover to security operatives. A…

A teacher narrowly escaped death on Tuesday after part of a dilapidated classroom block collapsed at the Community Primary School in Oyorokoto, Andoni Local Government Area of Rivers State. The incident, which occurred during school hours, left the teacher injured and triggered panic among pupils and staff, many of whom fled the scene in fear. Eyewitnesses said the crumbling structure gave way without warning while the teacher was actively conducting a lesson. The victim, whose name had not been disclosed as of press time, was reportedly rescued by colleagues and community members before being taken for medical attention. Sources within…

No fewer than 13 persons have been confirmed dead while 239 others are currently receiving treatment following a fresh outbreak of cholera in Niger State. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the outbreak, which began on Sunday, has rapidly spread across six local government areas, namely Shiroro, Chanchaga, Bosso, Magama, Bida, and Munya. Health authorities say Chanchaga, Bosso, and Shiroro are the worst-hit, with dozens being treated at various primary healthcare centres in the affected areas. Confirming the development, the Niger State Commissioner for Primary Healthcare, Dr. Ibrahim Dangana, said the government had activated an isolation and treatment centre at the old…

Despite the Kaduna State Government’s approval of a ₦72,000 minimum wage, primary school teachers in the state say they have been excluded from the new salary structure, leaving them in worsening economic hardship. Some of the affected teachers who spoke with PLATFORM TIMES described their current condition as “devastating,” disclosing that they still receive salaries as low as ₦42,000 to ₦47,000, despite recent government pronouncements. “The situation is unbearable. We are the ones teaching the foundation of education, yet we are treated like we don’t matter,” one teacher lamented. “Level 7 teachers are still earning less than ₦50,000 monthly. How…