Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Grace Adeleke A Catholic seminarian abducted by gunmen in Benue State has regained his freedom after reportedly escaping from his captors’ hideout and reuniting with his family. The seminarian, Kelvin Ochai of the Catholic Diocese of Otukpo, was said to have escaped on Friday evening from the den of his abductors after days in captivity. The Diocese confirmed the development in a statement issued on Saturday by its Chancellor, Very Rev. Fr. Joseph Itodo. According to the statement, Ochai trekked to Aliade in Gwer East Local Government Area of Benue State after escaping and was later reunited with his family…

The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, has ordered Stanbic IBTC Bank Limited to pay N15 million in damages to two former customers for unlawfully retaining and processing their personal data after they had ended their banking relationship with the financial institution. In what legal experts have described as a significant ruling on data privacy in Nigeria, the court also directed the bank to delete all personal data belonging to the claimants that it is not legally required to retain and restrained it from further processing or using such information without lawful authority or the customers’ consent. Justice…

The Tanimu Turaki-led faction of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission of allegedly plotting to hijack the party’s structure and replace its presidential candidate, former President Goodluck Jonathan, ahead of the 2027 general elections. The faction also alleged that the electoral commission was working to weaken the opposition and create conditions for a one-party state, warning that any attempt to recognise candidates submitted by rival party leaders would undermine Nigeria’s democratic process. The allegations were contained in a statement issued on Saturday by the National Publicity Secretary of the party’s Interim National Working Committee, Ini…

By Bashir Adefaka The Yoruba people have, for centuries, maintained a rich cultural and religious heritage shaped by diversity, coexistence and mutual respect. Across generations, Yoruba communities have accommodated different religious traditions, including Isese, Islam and Christianity, while preserving a shared cultural identity rooted in language, customs, family values and communal bonds. However, growing instances of inflammatory rhetoric and religious provocation from individuals who claim to speak in the name of Isese or Christianity are raising concerns about the future of peaceful coexistence among Yoruba Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers. Traditional rulers, religious leaders and community authorities have an important…

Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, has approved the appointment of a former bank executive, Dr. Babatunde Onadeko, as the Executive Secretary of the Gateway Front Foundation, alongside veteran physician, Dr. Bankole Adegboyega Osisanya, as the Foundation’s Chief Medical Consultant. The appointments, announced in a statement issued by the OGD Media Office on Saturday, are aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Foundation and enhancing the delivery of its humanitarian, healthcare, educational and community development programmes. According to the statement, Daniel said the appointments reflected his commitment to repositioning the Foundation through the engagement…

…Says directive politicises education sector, violates civil service neutrality The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the state government of allegedly using public school teachers and headteachers for partisan political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 governorship election. The opposition party alleged that officials of the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission and the State Universal Basic Education Board directed teachers and headteachers across the state to attend a meeting with the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi. The PDP, in a statement issued on Saturday by the media aide to…

Today on Platform Times Newspaper, 1st August, 2026. Visit www.platformtimes.com.ng for many more stories.

… 486 Suspects Arrested, 57 Insurgents Surrender Nationwide …Military Destroys 18 Illegal Refineries, Recovers 1,870 Weapons Daud Olatunji The Defence Headquarters has disclosed that troops deployed across various theatres of operation killed 102 suspected terrorists, bandits, illegal miners and criminal informants in July as part of ongoing military offensives nationwide. The military also said its operations led to the arrest of 486 suspects, the rescue of 393 kidnapped victims and the surrender of 57 insurgents during the period. The figures were contained in the Defence Headquarters’ monthly operational infographic released on Thursday, highlighting the outcome of military operations conducted across…

The Federal Government has expanded its Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to 10 states, with over 9,000 personnel trained to strengthen security across forests, border communities and other ungoverned areas serving as hideouts for kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups. The Office of the National Security Adviser disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that the programme is being coordinated by the ONSA and implemented under the operational leadership of the Department of State Services. According to the statement, the latest phase of the initiative covers Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states, where more than 2,000 newly trained forest guards have…

A presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, declaring that he would have personally led efforts to secure their rescue if he were Nigeria’s president. Obi said effective leadership requires visible action during national emergencies, insisting that he would not have waited for more than 50 days before taking decisive steps to free the victims. The former Anambra State governor spoke during an interview on Afia TV on Thursday while reacting to the kidnapping of dozens of pupils and teachers from schools…