Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Algeria have reached the semi-finals of the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations for the first time after overturning a 2-1 deficit against Ivory Coast in a dramatic quarter-final in Casablanca on Saturday. The North Africans also secured qualification for the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Brazil with the victory. Ivory Coast appeared in control after Ines Konan opened the scoring in the 29th minute, giving the Ivorians a deserved advantage in the first half. However, the momentum shifted dramatically before the interval when Ivory Coast were reduced to 10 players following the dismissal of 18-year-old N’Sira Ouedraogo. Ouedraogo…

Daud Olatunji The Osun State Police Command has arrested the Commissioner for Environment and Sanitation, Mayowa Adejoorin, in connection with a shooting incident that occurred during an All Progressives Congress rally in Ilesa on Saturday. The incident reportedly left four people injured, including a 14-year-old boy, as sporadic gunshots sent residents and political supporters scrambling for safety. The police said Adejoorin was arrested as part of an investigation into the incident, while the Imole Campaign Council, the political campaign organisation of Governor Ademola Adeleke, condemned the arrest and accused the police of politically targeting leaders of the Accord Party. The…

Sixteen people, including several children, were trapped early Saturday when a building collapsed in the Dan Dishe area of Kwanar Yashi, Fagge Local Government Area of Kano State. The Kano State Fire Service said 13 of those trapped were rescued alive, while three children were brought out unconscious following the incident, which occurred at about 4:32am on August 8, 2026. The fire service disclosed this in a statement, saying its emergency responders were mobilised after receiving a distress call from one of its personnel, Aminu Sani Warure. According to the agency, responders arrived at the scene to find a building…

The Federal Government spent N3.14tn servicing domestic debt in the first quarter of 2026, representing a 20.3 per cent increase compared with the N2.61tn spent in the corresponding period of 2025. The latest figures from the Debt Management Office show that the government’s domestic debt-servicing burden also rose significantly when compared with the preceding quarter. According to the DMO data, the N3.14tn spent between January and March 2026 was 37.5 per cent higher than the N2.28tn recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025. Interest payments accounted for the bulk of the expenditure, gulping N2.97tn during the three-month period, while N169.68bn…

Operatives of the Edo State Police Command have recovered an Italian-made pistol with its breech number filed off after two motorcycle-riding suspects allegedly attempted to evade a stop-and-search operation along the Auchi-Okene Expressway. The incident occurred in Okpella, Edo North, during a routine stop-and-search operation conducted by personnel of the Safer Highway Unit. The Command’s spokesperson, Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday, saying the suspects fled after police officers rejected an alleged attempt to bribe them. According to Ikoedem, the operatives stopped the motorcycle carrying two unidentified young men and requested that they submit to a search.…

Daud Olatunji Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has attributed the absence of electricity in rural communities to early bedtime, limited recreational activities and what he described as increasing population growth. Fayose made the remarks on Friday in Abuja shortly after his inauguration as Chairman of the governing board of the Rural Electrification Agency. The former governor, who spoke on the need to expand electricity access to underserved communities, said darkness in rural areas after 7pm often left residents with few alternatives for evening activities. According to him, the lack of electricity has social consequences beyond poor lighting, as residents…

Grace Adeleke The Federal Government has released 100 vials of anti-snake venom worth more than N25 million to the Benue State Government following increasing concerns over snakebite cases and deaths across the state. The intervention, provided by the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, is expected to strengthen the state’s capacity to provide timely treatment for victims and reduce the financial burden associated with the treatment of snakebite. The Panaf Premium Anti-Snake Venom was formally presented to the Benue State Ministry of Health and Human Services in Makurdi on Friday. Speaking during the presentation, the state Commissioner for Health…

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, accusing the Federal Government of relying on favourable macroeconomic statistics while Nigerians struggle with declining purchasing power. Atiku, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress in the 2027 election, said the latest Central Bank of Nigeria Household Expectations Survey exposed a widening gap between the government’s economic claims and the realities confronting households. He made the remarks on Saturday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu. The former vice-president particularly faulted the low levels of household willingness and ability to purchase major assets, including motor…

Today on Platform Times Newspaper, 8th August, 2026. Visit www.platformtimes.com.ng for many more stories.

Fawaz Adebisi A coalition of Muslim leaders in Osun State has challenged Governor Ademola Adeleke’s claim that his administration has done more for the Muslim community than previous governments, while declaring support for the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji. The group, operating under the aegis of the Concerned Muslim Stakeholders and League of Alfas in Osun State, made its position known on Thursday at a press conference in Osogbo ahead of the August 15 governorship election. The coalition, in a statement titled, “State of the Nation: A Call to the Conscience of Muslims in Osun State,”…