Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Today on Platform Times Newspaper, 3rd August, 2026. Visit www.platformtimes.com.ng for many more stories.

The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru? Wait no—Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa (retd.), has revealed that his mother sustained the family by selling akara and akamu, urging Nigerians to accord dignity and respect to petty traders. Musa said his mother’s small-scale business laid the foundation for his rise to become Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, stressing that no legitimate means of livelihood should be looked down upon. The minister spoke on Saturday at a one-day training and financial empowerment workshop for widows and wives of military personnel held at Lungi Barracks, Abuja. The programme, themed “Renewed Hope for Families of the…

… Says Licence Revocation Followed ₦2.49bn Unpaid Mining Fees … Alleges Smear Campaign Linked To International Arbitration … Insists Over 300 Western Firms Operate In Nigeria’s Mining Sector Daud Olatunji The Federal Government has dismissed allegations that it is handing Nigeria’s mineral resources to Chinese companies, insisting that claims against the Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dr. Dele Alake, are false and part of a coordinated campaign to undermine reforms in the mining sector. The minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan, made the clarification in a statement issued at the weekend while reacting to a publication titled…

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately order a comprehensive investigation into the alleged diversion and mismanagement of over N6.79bn within the Nigeria Police Force and the Federal Ministry of Police Affairs, warning that it will institute legal action if the Federal Government fails to act within seven days. SERAP also called for the recovery and proper accounting of dozens of missing firearms and ammunition reportedly uncovered in the latest report of the Auditor-General of the Federation. The rights organisation made the demand in a letter dated August 1, 2026, signed by its Deputy…

The Nigerian Army says its troops have rescued 34 kidnapped victims, arrested a suspected informant of the Islamic State West Africa Province and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition during coordinated military operations conducted across several states in the last 24 hours. The military disclosed this in an operational report released on Sunday, detailing a series of offensives carried out by troops under different operations across the North-East, North-West, North-Central and South-East. According to the report, troops of Operation HADIN KAI rescued 31 kidnapped passengers along the Buratai-Kamuya Road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State after intercepting…

The Presidency on Sunday rejected former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar’s claim that the Federal Government realised a N7.98 trillion oil windfall under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing the allegation as unfounded and challenging the former presidential candidate to provide evidence. The rebuttal came days after Atiku criticised the government’s continued domestic borrowing despite what he described as higher-than-expected oil revenues, accusing the administration of fiscal opacity and poor economic management. Responding in a statement, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed Atiku’s economic analysis as “deficient”, insisting that no such oil windfall existed. He said…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted cocaine consignments concealed inside a locally made mortar and the false bottom of a backpack allegedly being smuggled to China and Italy, as the agency intensified its crackdown on drug trafficking across the country. The agency also arrested an alleged notorious drug dealer in Rivers State, intercepted a truck loaded with 26,000 bottles of codeine syrup in Anambra State, and recovered large quantities of cannabis and other illicit substances in Delta, Nasarawa and Zamfara states. The NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Sunday.…

Fawaz Adebisi The Delta State Police Command has rescued a 25-year-old Nigerian woman allegedly trafficked to Côte d’Ivoire under the guise of securing a hairdressing apprenticeship and forced into prostitution. The command also arrested a 26-year-old woman, identified as Ese Betty Isiorho, over her alleged involvement in the human trafficking syndicate. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, SP Bright Edafe, disclosed the development in a statement on Saturday, saying the arrest followed a petition accusing the suspect of deceiving the victim with false promises of vocational training abroad. According to Edafe, investigations revealed that shortly after arriving in…

Nigeria’s Super Falcons will be without two key players when they face Egypt in their decisive final Group C match at the ongoing Women’s Africa Cup of Nations following disciplinary sanctions imposed by the Confederation of African Football. Defender Oluwatosin Demehin and midfielder Jennifer Echegini have both been suspended and will miss the encounter scheduled to determine Nigeria’s fate in the tournament. The suspensions stem from Nigeria’s hard-fought 1-0 victory over Zambia on Saturday. Demehin was sent off in the 40th minute after receiving a straight red card for bringing down Zambia captain Barbra Banda, who was through on goal.…

…18 Complete Vocational Training, Receive Entrepreneurship Kits …Minister Says Empowerment Is Investment, Not Charity Daud Olatunji The Federal Government has empowered 18 rescued Chibok schoolgirls with ₦1m entrepreneurship grants each and vocational starter packs as part of efforts to strengthen their economic independence and help them rebuild their lives. The beneficiaries received the support during the graduation ceremony of the Chibok Girls Support Programme held in Yola, Adamawa State. The Minister of Women Affairs, Imaan Sulaiman-Ibrahim, said the intervention underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to moving beyond rehabilitation by equipping survivors with the skills and resources needed to become self-reliant.…