Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Government has secured 1,721 terrorism-related convictions since the commencement of its Mass Trial Programme in October 2017, the Office of the National Security Adviser has said. The Director of Legal Services at the ONSA, Zakari Mijinyawa, disclosed this on Thursday during a joint briefing by spokespersons of security, defence and law enforcement agencies in Abuja. Mijinyawa said the programme, coordinated by the ONSA in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice, the judiciary and security agencies, had completed 10 phases of terrorism trials. He said the initiative had not only secured convictions but also ensured that suspects were…

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation Afenifere, has urged the Federal Government to amend the State Police Bill before the National Assembly to place policing on the Concurrent Legislative List, arguing that the current proposal grants excessive control to the Federal Government. The group said state governments must be given greater constitutional authority over policing to effectively tackle the country’s worsening insecurity. Afenifere made the call in a communiqué issued after its meeting held at the residence of its leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, Ondo State. The communiqué was read by the organisation’s National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi. While commending President…

The United Nations’ World Food Programme has warned that worsening hunger in northern Nigeria is forcing some desperate residents to join bandit groups in exchange for food or income, as conflict, displacement and shrinking humanitarian assistance deepen the region’s food crisis. The agency disclosed this on Thursday, saying communities across parts of northern Nigeria had reported incidents of individuals enlisting with armed groups as a survival strategy amid rising hunger and economic hardship. According to the WFP, more than 17 million Nigerians are currently experiencing crisis, emergency or catastrophic levels of food insecurity, with conditions in some conflict-ridden northern states…

The Gombe State Police Command has rescued an eight-year-old boy abducted in Akko Local Government Area of the state and arrested four suspects allegedly involved in the crime. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Thursday, saying the victim was rescued unharmed and reunited with his family after a coordinated intelligence-led operation. According to the police, the child’s father, Muhammadu Nabadara, reported the incident at the Akko Divisional Police Headquarters on June 28 after the boy left home around 6:30 a.m. on June 27 and failed to return. Abdullahi said detectives immediately launched an…

A senior consultant physician, identified simply as Dr. Ibrahim, has died after collapsing minutes after arriving at a private hospital in Kano State to attend to elderly patients who had waited for hours for medical consultation. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident occurred on Saturday at Arewa Surgery Hospital in the Hotoro area of Kano, where the doctor had reportedly answered an urgent call to replace another consultant who was unable to keep scheduled appointments. The incident was recounted by Suleiman Harbo, an aide to the Governor of Jigawa State, who said he witnessed the tragedy while accompanying his elderly…

Troops of Operation HADIN KAI have repelled a midnight attack by suspected fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province on a Forward Operating Base in Mairari, Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State, killing scores of insurgents, according to the Nigerian Army. The military, however, said two soldiers and a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force were killed during the fierce exchange of gunfire. In a statement issued on Thursday by the Acting Military Information Officer of Operation HADIN KAI, Capt. Mohammed Goni, the attack occurred at about 11:25 p.m. on Tuesday when the terrorists launched an assault…

Troops of Operation Enduring Peace have foiled another attempted attack on the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies in Kuru, Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State, killing one suspected militia member and recovering a service rifle allegedly stolen from a slain soldier. The latest incident, which occurred in the early hours of Thursday, is the third reported attack targeting the country’s foremost policy institute within weeks, raising fresh concerns over security around the facility. According to intelligence sources, the suspected attackers attempted to breach the security perimeter of the institute at about 12:10 a.m. under the cover…

Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), has agreed to represent Prince Adeniyi Adeyemi, the man who accused the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, of demanding N400 million as part of an alleged bribery deal, despite the Federal Government charging him with forgery and impersonation. PLATFORM TIMES reports that Adeyemi had alleged that Gbajabiamila demanded N400 million and an additional N200 million to facilitate his appointment as head of a government agency. He also claimed the Chief of Staff sought 48 per cent of the agency’s proposed N27.4bn take-off grant and challenged the Presidency to constitute an independent…

The Federal Government has confirmed that the traditional khaki uniform worn by members of the National Youth Service Corps will be replaced with Adire fabric as part of sweeping reforms aimed at repositioning the 53-year-old scheme. The Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande, disclosed this on Thursday during an appearance on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, saying the move was designed to boost local textile production and keep government spending within the Nigerian economy. According to him, the new uniform will be produced locally, particularly in states known for Adire and textile production. “It is Adire. Adire is being produced…

Zainab Abioye The Nigerian Correctional Service, Ogun State Command, has recorded a major milestone in its inmates’ rehabilitation programme as 32 inmates of the Ibara Custodial Centre, Abeokuta, sat for the Basic Education Certificate Examination for the first time. The command also urged Nigerians to stop stigmatising ex-inmates, warning that rejection by society could undermine rehabilitation efforts and increase the risk of reoffending. The BECE, held on Wednesday, involved 32 inmates, including 11 female candidates. Simultaneously, 42 other inmates wrote diploma, bachelor’s and master’s degree examinations in theology. Speaking during the exercise, the Social Welfare Officer of the Ogun State…