Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday reignited his long-running political rift with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, declaring that selecting him as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election was the biggest mistake he made while serving as Nigeria’s president. Obasanjo made the remark during a fireside chat with veteran entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the unveiling of Charly Boy’s foundation and his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa. Responding to a question on the greatest mistake of his presidency, the former Nigerian leader said he would never have chosen…

Fawaz Adebisi A 30-year-old housewife, Habse Ubale, has been beaten to death after being accused of witchcraft in Garin Malam community, Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The attack, which also left her husband and two children with varying degrees of injuries, has triggered the arrest of one suspect, while two others are currently on the run. The Bauchi State Police Command disclosed the incident in a statement issued on Friday by its Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib. According to the police, the incident occurred in the early hours of July 28 when the suspects allegedly stormed the…

The Elegant Nurses Forum has accused authorities in Ogun State of attempting to intimidate and victimise a nurse allegedly assaulted while on duty at the Judiciary Staff Clinic in Ilaro, warning that any move to transfer the health worker while investigations are ongoing would amount to victimisation. The group also raised fresh allegations of workplace abuse and sexual harassment within judiciary health facilities across the state, calling for an independent investigation into the claims. In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its National Coordinator, Thomas Abiodun Olamide, the forum alleged that the handling of the assault case had…

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have foiled an attempted mass abduction by suspected Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province insurgents along the Buratai–Kamuya Road in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, rescuing 31 commuters and recovering four vehicles. The Nigerian Army said the operation was carried out at about 3:45 p.m. on Friday after troops received real-time intelligence that terrorists had intercepted four civilian vehicles on the strategic highway. According to the military, the insurgents had forced the vehicles to stop and were attempting to whisk away the passengers toward the remote Mangari–Dora axis before troops intervened.…

The Supreme Court has directed legal practitioners, litigation staff, court registrars and other officers to immediately stop using the title “Barrister” as a prefix to their names in all official correspondence and engagements with the apex court. The directive, issued on the instruction of the Chief Justice of Nigeria, was conveyed in an internal memorandum dated July 13, 2026, and signed by the Chief Registrar of the Supreme Court, Kabir E. Akanbi. The circular, addressed to litigation staff, legal practitioners, court registrars and lawyers, described the continued use of the title as inconsistent with the professional standards expected within Nigeria’s…

Two Chinese nationals have been sentenced to five years’ imprisonment each by the Federal High Court in Lagos for conspiring to illegally mine and export Nigeria’s solid mineral resources without government authorisation. The convicts, Zhang Hong Lin and Gao Pei Hai, were also given an option of a ₦50 million fine each after pleading guilty to a five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, unlawful possession and attempted export of strategic mineral resources. The judgment was delivered on Friday by Justice Akintayo Aluko of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, following their prosecution by the Lagos Zonal Directorate of the…

Ayomide Awe One of the military officers standing trial over the alleged coup plot against President Bola Tinubu’s administration, Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, has claimed that repeated denial of promotion and worsening welfare conditions in the Nigerian Army pushed him towards supporting an alleged plan to overthrow the government. The claims were contained in interrogation statements reportedly obtained by Premium Times and published on Friday. According to the documents, Ma’aji said his frustrations began after he failed to secure promotion to the rank of brigadier general despite believing he had met the requirements for advancement. The officer also alleged that widespread…

…Outgoing Registrar lists 200 achievements, urges support for success …Highlights N8bn staff welfare package, anti-corruption drive, billions remitted to FG Daud Olatunji The outgoing Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof. Is-haq Olanrewaju Oloyede, on Friday formally handed over the leadership of the nation’s admissions agency after a decade in office, declaring that reforms driven by technology, transparency and discipline had restored public confidence in Nigeria’s tertiary admissions system. Speaking during the handover ceremony at JAMB’s national headquarters in Bwari, Abuja, Oloyede said the Board had undergone a remarkable transformation since he assumed office on August 9, 2016,…

Today on Platform Times Newspaper, 31st July, 2026. Visit www.platformtimes.com.ng for many more stories.

….Taraba Records Highest Increase, Ogun Posts 26.7% Spike … Southern States Remain Nigeria’s Most Expensive Places To Eat Well …Report Says Healthy Feeding Now Consumes Most Of Minimum Wage Daud Olatunji The cost of eating a healthy diet in Nigeria climbed sharply in the first quarter of 2026, with Taraba recording the highest increase in food costs while Bayelsa remained the cheapest state, according to a new report by civic technology organisation, BudgIT. The report also identified Ogun among six states experiencing the steepest rise in the cost of a healthy diet, raising fresh concerns over worsening food inflation and…