Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Troops of the Nigerian Army under Operation FANSAN YAMMA have rescued 31 kidnapped victims and neutralised five terrorists in coordinated offensives across Zamfara and Katsina states, in what authorities described as a sustained push against banditry in the North-West. The military also confirmed the destruction of several terrorist camps and the recovery of firearms, ammunition and motorcycles during the multi-pronged operations. In a statement on Friday, the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, said the major breakthrough occurred around the Bagega–Kawaye axis in Anka Local Government Area of Zamfara State, where the abducted victims…

Daud Olatunji Health experts have declared that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infection is no longer a death sentence, attributing the dramatic shift in outcome to advances in science, expanded access to treatment, and sustained public health interventions across Nigeria. The Chief Executive Officer of APIN Public Health Initiatives, Prof. Prosper Okonkwo, made the assertion on Friday in Abuja during activities marking the organisation’s 25th anniversary, which also served as a review of Nigeria’s HIV response over the past two decades. Okonkwo said the country had moved from an era of widespread fatalities and uncertainty in the early 2000s to one…

Fresh Tension in PDP as Turaki Bloc Moves to Ratify Jonathan Amid Wike Crackdown …Faction vows to proceed with Saturday convention in Abuja …Claims venue fully secured, paid for Daud Olatunji Fresh crisis is brewing within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) as the faction led by former Minister, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, insisted it will go ahead with its planned presidential candidate ratification convention in Abuja despite mounting regulatory pressure and alleged threats linked to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Administration. The faction, which has nominated former President Goodluck Jonathan for ratification, said the convention scheduled for Saturday, May 30, 2026,…

Hundreds of teachers and civil society activists on Friday took to the streets of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, demanding the immediate and safe release of teachers and schoolchildren abducted in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. The protesters, drawn from the Oyo State Teachers Action Group and the Nigeria Teachers Congress (NTC), staged a peaceful demonstration, warning that the growing spate of school-related kidnappings in parts of the state had become unacceptable and posed a direct threat to the education sector. The victims were abducted on May 15, 2026, in Esiele and Yawota communities in the Ogbomoso axis…

The Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, Justice John Tsoho, has reassigned the suit filed by a former National Deputy Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nafiu-Bala Gombe, challenging the leadership of the party led by Sen. David Mark and Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, to a new judge. The case, earlier before Justice Emeka Nwite, has now been transferred to Justice Peter Lifu for continuation of hearing following Justice Nwite’s elevation to the Court of Appeal by the National Judicial Council (NJC). The development marks another procedural turn in the protracted internal crisis rocking the ADC over the legitimacy…

The Nigerian Correctional Service has dismissed allegations that its personnel looted valuables worth over N120m during a recent security operation at the Medium Security Custodial Centre, Kuje, Abuja. The Service described the claims as “false and misleading,” insisting that the exercise was a routine search conducted in line with established procedures to maintain order and security within the facility. Allegations had surfaced that officials carted away expensive items, including a wedding ring and wristwatch reportedly belonging to former Chairman of Skye Bank Plc, Tunde Ayeni, during a raid on VIP sections of the custodial centre. But in a statement issued…

As political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections gather momentum, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, has concluded plans to host a national discourse on leadership and governance in Nigeria. The event, organised by the institution’s Faculty of Social Sciences, is the fourth in its annual open lecture series and is themed, “Politics and Governance in Nigeria: The Leadership Question.” According to a statement issued on Friday by the faculty, the lecture will hold on Monday, June 1, 2026, at the OGD Hall of the university. The lecture is expected to attract scholars, political leaders, policymakers, civil society actors,…

The management of Fuji star, Shefiu Alao, has revealed why it abandoned a proposed partnership with a fast food outlet to independently stage its flagship concert, Shefiu Alao 2.0, as it moves to upscale the event in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Speaking during an interview, the artiste’s media manager said the decision to take full control of the concert was driven by the need to protect and elevate the brand of the veteran Fuji musician. According to him, the initial plan was for a commercial collaboration that would see the outlet sponsor a post-Eid-el-Kabir show, with Alao performing while the partner…

The Eselu of Iselu Kingdom, Oba Akintunde Akinyemi, has congratulated the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, on his 66th birthday, lauding his leadership style and developmental initiatives across the state. In a statement issued on Friday to mark the governor’s birthday, the monarch described Abiodun as a visionary leader whose administration has brought significant transformation to Ogun State through strategic policies and infrastructure development. Akinyemi noted that the governor’s “Building Our Future Together” agenda had translated into tangible projects, including road construction, agro-processing zones, and reforms in the education sector, which he said had enhanced the state’s economic profile. He…

A group under the aegis of the Concerned Fulani People of Nigeria has criticised what it described as “inconsistencies” in the United States’ position on Nigeria’s security situation, particularly narratives linking the Fulani ethnic group to widespread violence in the country. In a rejoinder signed by Ibrahim Barkindo Chubado and released on Thursday, the group alleged that recent and past assessments attributed to the United States government and allied bodies had shifted in tone, creating confusion over the true nature of insecurity in Nigeria. It argued that earlier reports, which it said emerged during the administration of former President Muhammadu…