Author: Platform Times Newspaper

No fewer than 25,000 residents have been displaced while 37 others have been killed following a series of coordinated attacks by bandits on communities in Mushere District, Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State. The Mushere Youths Movement (MUYOM), a socio-cultural group, disclosed this on Friday during a press briefing in Jos. The group’s National Publicity Secretary, Kutyil Gashion, said the communities came under repeated siege between May 25 and August 7, leading to the destruction of 55 houses, farmlands, worship centres, schools, hospitals, and other public infrastructure worth millions of naira. Gashion listed some of the affected communities as…

The Oyo State Government has raised the alarm over a fraudulent message circulating among retirees, urging them to submit personal and banking details for a so-called pension verification exercise. Commissioner for Establishments and Training, Prof. Salihu Adelabu, in a statement on Friday in Ibadan, described the notice as fake and warned pensioners to disregard it completely. According to him, the message—demanding photocopies of pension certificates, bank account numbers, and phone contacts—did not originate from the ministry and was clearly designed to defraud unsuspecting retirees. “We want to make it clear that there is no such ongoing verification exercise,” Adelabu stated.…

The West African Examinations Council (WAEC) on Friday announced a dramatic upward review of the 2025 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) results, raising the national pass rate from 38.32 per cent to 62.96 per cent. The reversal follows days of public outrage from parents, teachers and students who condemned the initial figures as “shockingly poor” and demanded a probe into the conduct and grading of the examination. Addressing journalists in Lagos, WAEC’s Head of National Office, Dr. Amos Dangut, said the review was the outcome of what he described as a “meticulous re-evaluation” of scripts and grading processes…

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun moves to allow inmates of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) to vote in future elections, in line with a recent Court of Appeal judgment affirming prisoners’ voting rights. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Thursday during a meeting with the Comptroller-General of the NCoS, Sylvester Nwakuche, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Yakubu said the plan, if fully implemented, could see over 73,000 inmates in Nigerian correctional facilities casting their ballots in the 2027 general elections. He explained that discussions with the NCoS had centred on setting up polling units…

Operatives of the Akwa Ibom State Police Command have arrested a 30-year-old suspected ritualist, Cletus Effiong Bassey, for allegedly producing charms and “bullet repellers” for armed robbers. The suspect was apprehended on July 29, 2025, around 7pm, during a raid on his shrine in Nung Oku Village, Uruan Local Government Area, following intelligence reports. Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, in a statement on Friday, said Bassey’s arrest was part of an ongoing crackdown on criminal networks in the state. “Preliminary investigation shows that the suspect has been deeply involved in ritualistic practices, including the preparation of native charms…

Fuji music icon, Wasiu Ayinde Marshal, popularly known as K1 De Ultimate, has tendered an unreserved apology over an incident at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday, August 5, 2025. The veteran musician, in a personally signed statement on Friday, expressed regret over the controversy but dismissed reports that he was caught with alcohol at the airport. According to K1, the flask in his possession on the day contained only water, a precaution he said was necessary due to his chronic dehydration condition. “Unknown to many, I suffer from chronic dehydration, and my doctor strongly advised that I…

The Rivers State Police Command has busted a 12-man car-snatching syndicate, recovering no fewer than 22 stolen vehicles in an operation spanning seven states. Spokesperson for the command, SP Grace Iringe-Koko, said the syndicate specialised in stealing vehicles across Nigeria and smuggling them into Cameroon, where they were either sold whole or dismantled for parts. According to her, the breakthrough followed a year-long intelligence-led operation launched in September 2024 after a Toyota Hiace bus belonging to one Enoch Daniel was stolen at Trailer Park, Onne, Port Harcourt. “Two ex-convicts, aged 40 and 45, were first arrested. They confessed to being…

Nigeria’s manufacturing industry suffered a massive N1.2 trillion loss between 2019 and 2023 but is showing signs of recovery under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, a new economic report has revealed. The report, Inside Nigeria’s Quiet Recovery, released by research firm Quartus Economics, attributes the decline to the combined blows of the COVID-19 pandemic, the controversial naira redesign policy, and sluggish growth in agriculture and services. It noted that while the economy contracted sharply during the “years of stall”, recovery began in 2024 with a year-on-year GDP growth of 4.1 per cent. Manufacturing, which had plunged by 21 per cent over…

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has issued a stern warning to prominent members openly endorsing President Bola Tinubu for the 2027 presidential election, describing such moves as “dangerous anti-party activities” capable of destabilising the opposition party. In a statement on Friday, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the National Working Committee (NWC) will not hesitate to wield the big stick against members found undermining the PDP’s unity and electoral chances. Over recent months, some key figures in the PDP — including Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose; and the Osun…

The Convener of The Alternative, Otunba Segun Showunmi, has called for sweeping constitutional amendments to strengthen political parties and curb the frequent defections that have destabilised Nigeria’s democratic system. Showunmi, in a policy paper titled Strengthening Political Parties as Pillars of Democracy, proposed that anyone seeking elective office must have been a registered member of their political party for at least four years before an election. He said the measure, to be entrenched in amendments to sections 65(2)(b), 106(d), 131(c), and 177(c) of the 1999 Constitution, would end what he described as “political tourism” and ensure that politicians are driven…