Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Suspect Led 100 Armed Men In Plateau Mass Killings-DSS The Federal High Court in Abuja and a Plateau State High Court have in separate terrorism trials delivered fresh revelations and convictions in ongoing prosecutions against suspects linked to deadly attacks across Nigeria, including the 2014 Nyanya motor park bombing and coordinated assaults on communities in Plateau State. At the Federal High Court in Abuja, Justice James Omotosho on Friday sentenced a 37-year-old man, Zakaria Garba, to death by hanging for his role in the 2014 Nyanya motor park bombing, one of the deadliest terror attacks in the Federal Capital Territory.…

The Oba of Benin, Omo N’Oba N’Edo, Uku Akpolokpolo, Ewuare II, has summoned native doctors, traditional priests and priestesses to an urgent palace meeting over the worsening insecurity in Edo State. The meeting, according to a statement issued by the Benin Traditional Council, is scheduled to hold at 12 noon on Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at the Oba’s palace in Benin City. The statement, signed by Victor Nosakhare on behalf of the Secretary of the Benin Traditional Council, Frank Irabor, said the emergency gathering was convened under the directive of the monarch and must be treated with utmost urgency by…

A Federal High Court in Abuja has sentenced two women—identified as Safiya Salihu and Halima Abdullahi—to 40 years imprisonment each for their roles in supporting terrorism-related activities linked to a suspected bandit kingpin, Kachallah Ibrahim Battujo. Justice Hauwa Yilwa handed down the judgment on Thursday after both defendants, who were arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS), pleaded guilty to counts bordering on aiding and abetting terrorism as well as concealment of critical information about terrorist operations. The Office of the Attorney General of the Federation prosecuted the case. The convicts, said to be the mother and sister of…

Families of military officers detained over an alleged coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu have raised serious concerns over the treatment of their relatives, alleging torture, prolonged incommunicado detention and denial of access to legal representation, and are demanding a transparent and open trial process. The families, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Friday, called for urgent intervention by relevant authorities, insisting that while they are not challenging the ongoing court martial, the process must comply with constitutional safeguards and international human rights standards. Speaking on behalf of the group, activist Aishatu Yesufu alleged that the detained officers had…

Armed men suspected to be “repentant bandits” have killed a commercial driver identified as Mallam Ibrahim Adamu and abducted nine other persons in separate attacks along the Kaduna–Birnin Gwari Highway and nearby farming communities in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area. PLATFORM TIMES reports that in the first attack at Kwanan Giginya axis of the highway, the gunmen reportedly opened fire on a commercial vehicle conveying passengers, killing the driver on the spot. The victim, identified as Mallam Ibrahim Adamu, was said to be the grandson of a district head in the Birnin Gwari Emirate. A family source said the attackers…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has disclosed that Nigeria saved ₦61.58 billion through strategic fertiliser procurement reforms while securing more than 449,000 metric tonnes of fertiliser inputs despite disruptions in the global supply chain. Tinubu, in a statement on his official page on Wednesday, said the intervention was achieved under the Presidential Fertiliser Initiative (PFI), which has been restructured under the Ministry of Finance Incorporated (MOFI) to strengthen procurement efficiency and cushion the impact of global market volatility. He said rising geopolitical tensions, particularly conflicts in the Middle East, triggered major disruptions in global fertiliser supply chains, with attendant risks to…

Tensions escalated sharply in the Middle East on Friday as the Islamic Republic of Iran declared the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, accusing the United States of breaching a recently signed memorandum of understanding and worsening regional instability. The announcement was made by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), an entity within Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, through maritime radio channels monitored in the Gulf region, according to reports cited by New York Post. The strategic waterway, the Strait of Hormuz, is one of the world’s most critical oil transit routes, handling a significant share of global crude exports from…

There were mixed developments across several local government areas of Ekiti State on Friday evening as the Independent National Electoral Commission finalised preparations for Saturday’s governorship election, with delays, logistical gaps and pockets of efficient deployment recorded. Findings from multiple Registration Area Centres (RACs) across the state on Thursday, as provided by the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) to PLATFORM TIMES, indicated that while some centres were fully set up with electoral materials and personnel, others remained deserted or received materials late, raising concerns over uniform readiness. In Oye Local Government Area, St. Mary Primary School RAC serving Oye…

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has approved the appointment of Chief Superintendent of Police, Anietie Okokon Edem Iniedu, as the new Force Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Police Force. The appointment, which was announced on Friday, comes barely three months after Deputy Commissioner of Police, Anthony Okon Placid, assumed office as the police spokesperson. In a statement issued by Placid, Iniedu was described as a seasoned officer with extensive experience in public communication, intelligence management, operational policing, and institutional accountability. According to the statement, the new FPRO hails from Etinan Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State and…

The Commissioner of Police in Ogun State, Bode Ojajuni, has raised concern over what he described as the growing moral decadence in Nigeria, urging public relations practitioners to deploy their expertise in addressing the trend. Ojajuni made the call on Friday while receiving members of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations, Ogun State chapter, at the command headquarters in Eleweran, Abeokuta. Describing PR professionals as critical agents of social change, the police boss said their training and influence placed them in a strategic position to drive moral reorientation and promote ethical values across society. He blamed the rising indiscipline, particularly…