Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries from the South-West have renewed calls for the restoration of regional government, warning that Nigeria’s worsening insecurity and governance challenges are rooted in the country’s over-centralised political structure. The call was made in a communiqué issued at the end of the 11th Quarterly Meeting of the Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries, South-West Nigeria, held in Ibadan, Oyo State. The meeting, attended by delegates from all six South-West states, was declared open by the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Bayo Lawal, who represented Governor Seyi Makinde. The retired…

The people and traditional leadership of the Kemta townships in Abeokuta South, Ogun State, on Saturday staged a colourful homecoming for Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, publicly presenting him as one of their own in a ceremony steeped in culture and tradition. The event, organised by the Kemta communities, was in recognition of Adeola’s maternal roots, with community leaders saying his late mother hailed from Kemta Odutolu in Itoku, Abeokuta. The ceremony began at Kemta Odutolu, in front of the Adire/Kampala Mall in Itoku, where Adeola was warmly received by members of the community, including…

A former commander of the Directorate of Military Intelligence Security Group under the late military ruler, Gen. Sani Abacha, retired Col. Frank Omenka, has broken more than three decades of silence, insisting he has no regrets over his role during one of Nigeria’s most controversial military eras. Speaking during his first public interview on Thursday, Omenka dismissed long-standing allegations of torture, intimidation and other human rights abuses levelled against him, maintaining that he merely carried out his constitutional responsibilities as an investigator. “I have nothing to apologise for because I committed no offence,” the retired military officer declared. “I did…

A fresh bandit attack on Gamo Gidan Bita community in Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State has displaced 484 residents, including 271 children, pushing the number of internally displaced persons across Nigeria’s North-West to nearly 800,000, the International Organisation for Migration has said. The IOM disclosed this in its Flash Report 291, released after a rapid assessment of the June 15 attack on the community in Birnin Magaji Ward. According to the report, armed bandits invaded the village, forcing residents to flee to neighbouring Ubandawaki community in Magaji Gari Ward for safety. The agency said it activated its 72-hour…

The Delta State Police Command has. arrested two brothers over the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl in Warri South LocalGovernment Area of the state. The suspects, identified as EmmanuelEugene, 18, and Kelvin Eugene, 20, were arrested following a complaint by the family of the victim, who reportedly went missing after her mother left home for the market. The incident was said to have occurred in June 2026 at Okoro Street, Third Marine Quarters, Third Marine Gate,Warri. According to a source familiar with the case, the teenager was later found hiding inside a church  building in Effuru, by a woman…

The Federal Government has disclosed that seven suspected commanders of Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province were arrested at the Katsina Airport while returning from the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said the suspects were apprehended through Nigeria’s integrated identity management system before being handed over to the Department of State Services for further investigation. Tunji-Ojo made the disclosure on Saturday at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, shortly after President Bola Tinubu signed the 2026 National Identity Management Commission Act into law. According to the minister, the arrests demonstrate the…

The Department of State Services has released a Kaduna State herder who was wrongfully detained over alleged links to Boko Haram terrorists after an internal investigation found no evidence to support the claims against him. The agency also paid the man, identified as Nura Idris, N3 million as immediate compensation and pledged further support to help him rebuild his livelihood. According to security sources, the Director-General of the DSS, Oluwatosin Adeola Ajayi, approved Idris’ release after a review panel established that he had no connection with the terrorist group. Idris, a farmer and livestock rearer from Soba Local Government Area…

Operatives of the Ogun and Lagos State Police Commands have arrested 88 suspects, rescued five kidnapped victims and killed four suspected kidnappers during a joint security operation codenamed Operation Kosaye. The exercise, which involved coordinated bush-combing operations across Ogun and Lagos states up to the Oyo State boundary, also led to the recovery of arms, ammunition and other dangerous weapons. Addressing journalists on Saturday at the Police Training College, Iperu, the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Bode Ojajuni, said the operation was initiated by the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun’s successor, Olatunji Disu, to rid both states of criminal elements…

… Iyabo’s Grassroots Clout Faces Brothers’ Backing For Yayi ….PLATFORM TIMES investigation Reveals Contrasting Political Influence Daud Olatunji  The political family of former President Olusegun Obasanjo appears to have become divided ahead of the 2027 Ogun State governorship election, with two of his sons publicly aligning with the All Progressives Congress governorship hopeful, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, while his daughter, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, is firmly in the camp of the Peoples Democratic Party. The latest development emerged on Friday when Adeola announced that Dr. Olugbenga Obasanjo and Mr. Olujuwon Obasanjo paid him a visit at his…

… Police Account For Over 70% Of Stolen Weapons … Delta, Abia Top States With Highest Losses …Weapon Thefts Surged In 2026, Report Warns Daud Olatunji  A new security report has revealed that Nigerian security agencies lost no fewer than 282 rifles to terrorists, bandits and other armed groups in 94 separate attacks between 2021 and the first half of 2026, with the Nigeria Police Force accounting for over 70 per cent of the stolen weapons. The report, released by security intelligence firm SBM Intelligence and titled Nigeria’s Stolen Rifles: Who Loses, Who Takes, disclosed that the police lost 201…