Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Nigeria recorded 79,323 deaths and 34,773 civilian abductions linked to terrorism and violent attacks between 2020 and 2025, according to a new report by the Observatory for Religious Freedom in Africa. The six-year investigation, unveiled in Jos on Tuesday, said the figures underscore the scale of the country’s worsening security crisis, with an average of seven attacks and 36 deaths recorded daily during the period under review. The report, titled “Four Times Boko Haram? How the World Misreads Nigeria’s Violence,” was accompanied by a statement issued by ORFA’s Senior Research Analyst, Frans Vierhout. According to the findings, 42,033 civilians lost…

…Army orders probe, vows sanctions if personnel found culpable Daud Olatunji The management of Osun State University has accused soldiers allegedly attached to the Nigerian Army Depot in Osogbo of invading off-campus student hostels, assaulting students, stripping female occupants and confiscating dozens of mobile phones during a late-night operation. The university said the incident, which occurred on Monday night, affected more than 20 students and had been formally reported to the Army authorities, expressing hope that those responsible would be brought to justice. Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Clement Adeboye, who visited the affected hostels on Tuesday, described the alleged…

A security expert and Convener of the Katsina Security Community Initiative, Bashir Kurfi, has called for a thorough investigation into allegations that suspected bandit commanders participated in the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, warning that the claims raise serious questions about Nigeria’s intelligence gathering and security screening systems. Kurfi, who spoke on Tuesday during Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, stressed that the allegations should neither be dismissed nor accepted without investigation. According to him, the government has a responsibility to either confirm or debunk claims that some suspected bandit leaders travelled to Saudi Arabia for…

The Katsina State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old housewife, Sadiya Lawal, for allegedly attempting to kill her husband by slitting his throat while he was asleep in Katsina metropolis. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, disclosed this in a statement issued on Monday, saying the suspect is currently in police custody while investigations continue. According to the statement, the victim, Jamilu Ibrahim, reported the incident at the Central Market Police Division at about 9:00 a.m. on Monday, alleging that his wife attacked him with a knife at about 5:30 a.m. while he was asleep. The police said Ibrahim sustained…

The Independent National Electoral Commission has restored the Nigeria Democratic Congress’ access to its candidate nomination portal, allowing the party to resume the submission of candidates for the 2027 general elections despite an ongoing legal dispute over its status. The National Leader of the NDC and former Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Henry Dickson, disclosed the development in a statement posted on his X handle on Tuesday. Dickson said the restoration followed the party’s filing of a notice of appeal and an application for a stay of execution against a recent judgment of the Federal High Court in Lokoja, which had…

The Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation has remitted a cumulative ₦950bn into the Federal Government’s Consolidated Revenue Fund, with the agency expressing optimism that the figure will increase as it strengthens its operations and financial performance. The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the NDIC, Dr Thompson Sunday, disclosed this during a media briefing on the corporation’s contribution to the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He said the corporation, which is funded through bank insurance premiums and investment income rather than government allocations, contributed about ₦274bn to the Consolidated Revenue Fund in 2025 alone. According to him, the NDIC has consistently increased…

The Federal Government has commenced moves to abolish the option of fines for convicted drug traffickers, proposing mandatory prison sentences of between 15 and 25 years in a bid to strengthen Nigeria’s fight against illicit drug trafficking. The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency said the proposed amendment to the NDLEA Act is being driven through the Office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and would soon be transmitted to the National Assembly as an executive bill. Speaking  on Monday, on a private TV programme, the NDLEA spokesman, Femi Babafemi, described the existing provision allowing convicted…

Nigeria has recovered 23 cultural artefacts from Switzerland, including 18 looted Benin Kingdom treasures and five other historical objects, in what authorities described as another milestone in the country’s campaign to reclaim its stolen cultural heritage. The artefacts were formally handed over to the Federal Government at the National Museum in Lagos on Monday during a restitution ceremony attended by senior Nigerian and Swiss officials. The returned collection comprises 18 Benin artefacts—commonly referred to as the Benin Bronzes—which were looted during the British invasion of the Benin Kingdom in 1897 and later found their way into Swiss museums. The Swiss…

A civil society organisation, the Centre for Reform and Public Advocacy, has approached the Federal High Court in Kano seeking an order disqualifying President Bola Ahmed Tinubu from contesting the 2027 presidential election over renewed allegations of certificate forgery. The suit, marked FHC/K/CS/312/2026, names President Tinubu, the Independent National Electoral Commission and Chicago State University as defendants. According to court documents, the plaintiff alleged that Tinubu presented forged academic credentials from Chicago State University as well as a fake National Youth Service Corps discharge certificate to INEC during the 2023 presidential election. The organisation further claimed that the President did…

…Introduces New Uniforms, Tech-Driven Mobilisation …Six-Week Orientation To Focus On Digital Skills, Entrepreneurship Daud Olatunji The Federal Government has approved a sweeping overhaul of the National Youth Service Corps, proposing to end over five decades of military leadership of the scheme by appointing a civilian Director-General, while introducing technology-driven mobilisation, redesigned uniforms and a revamped orientation programme focused on digital skills and entrepreneurship. The reforms, approved by the Federal Executive Council on Monday, represent the most extensive restructuring of the NYSC since its establishment in 1973 and are aimed at making the scheme more responsive to Nigeria’s security realities, labour…