Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Universities Corner ₦28.5bn As Polytechnics, Colleges Share ₦10.5bn … Revitalisation Fund Targets Critical Infrastructure Gaps Across Public Institutions ….Disbursement Linked To Implementation Of FG-ASUU Agreement Daud Olatunji  The Federal Government has released ₦38.93bn to 166 public tertiary institutions across Nigeria in a fresh intervention aimed at tackling infrastructure deficits and improving teaching and learning conditions in the country’s universities, polytechnics and colleges of education. The allocation, announced by the Federal Ministry of Finance, gives universities the largest share of the fund, with ₦28.5bn earmarked for 79 institutions, while 46 polytechnics will receive ₦5.8bn and 41 colleges of education will get…

Toyyibat Qasim A police corporal has allegedly shot dead a female colleague before taking his own life at ASCO Camp in Ajaokuta Local Government Area of Kogi State. The incident, which occurred on Friday, October 23, 2026, involved Corporal Amos Yusuf and Woman Corporal Grace Onimisi, both serving officers of the Nigeria Police Force. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the incident was reported at about 11:04 p.m., prompting the Divisional Police Officer in Ajaokuta to mobilise a team of officers to the scene. The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Sunday by its Police Public…

Ayomide Awe A factional leader of the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, Oba Oladipo Olaitan, has warned members against turning the organisation’s leadership succession into a contest driven by personal ambition, insisting that established traditions must guide the emergence of a new leader. Olaitan said the organisation’s leadership should emerge through its longstanding succession process rather than campaigns, lobbying or individual efforts to secure the position. He spoke on Sunday during a condolence visit to the family of the late Afenifere leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, in Akure, Ondo State. Describing the succession process as an “apostolic selection,” the Afenifere chieftain argued…

Daud Olatunji A parent, Akin Okunowo, has petitioned the Governing Council of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, over alleged discrimination against candidates from South-West states in the institution’s admission process. Okunowo, a national leader of Anti-Cult Activities in Nigeria, called for the abolition of admission cut-off marks based on candidates’ states of origin, arguing that the practice could disadvantage qualified applicants from the region. In an open petition dated October 23, 2026, and addressed to the university’s Governing Council through the Vice-Chancellor and Registrar, he questioned the rationale for applying different admission thresholds to candidates seeking admission into the…

Daud Olatunji The Peoples Democratic Party has met the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deadline to correct the omission of some of its candidates from the list published ahead of the 2027 general elections. The party’s National Organising Secretary, Captain Umar Bature (retd.), confirmed on Sunday that the PDP completed the necessary corrections before the October 24 deadline stipulated by the electoral commission. The omissions affected the party’s governorship candidates in Ogun and Gombe states, as well as approximately six or seven candidates contesting seats in various state Houses of Assembly. Bature confirmed the development in a response to enquiries from…

Toyyibat Qasim The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has reported two additional suspected cases of Ebola in the country, even as it confirmed that an earlier suspected case in Rivers State tested negative. The development was disclosed on Sunday by the Director-General of the NCDC, Dr Jide Idris, during a press briefing. Idris said the two newly reported cases were still under investigation, stressing that their status had yet to be confirmed. The latest disclosure comes amid heightened public attention to Ebola preparedness and the need for effective disease surveillance to prevent a potential outbreak. According to…

Daud Olatunji The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has proposed a 200 per cent gratuity and improved pension benefits for retired police officers as part of efforts to address longstanding welfare challenges in the Nigeria Police Force. Disu disclosed this on Sunday in Abuja, explaining that the proposal was before a presidential committee established to examine the concerns of police personnel and recommend sustainable solutions to the force’s pension crisis. The proposal, if approved, could significantly improve retirement benefits for eligible officers, including those who have repeatedly demanded an exit from the Contributory Pension Scheme. However, the IGP cautioned that…

Toyyibat Qasim Nigeria’s criminal justice system is witnessing fresh developments as three suspects were arrested over the alleged defilement of two minors in Edo State, while two separate cases involving alleged murder and the cutting off of a man’s genitals came up before courts in Kano State. The cases, reported on Sunday, have drawn attention to allegations of sexual violence against children and violent crimes, with police investigations and court proceedings taking different courses in the two states. In Edo State, operatives of the state police command arrested three suspects in connection with the alleged sexual assault and defilement of…

Daud Olatunji The University of Lagos has announced plans to conduct mandatory toxicology screening for newly admitted students as part of its admission and registration requirements for the 2026/2027 academic session. The exercise, scheduled to commence on Monday, October 26, and end on Friday, December 18, 2026, will cover candidates admitted through the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination and Direct Entry routes. The university disclosed the development in a statement issued on Saturday, directing all newly admitted candidates to undergo the screening before completing their admission screening and registration processes. The institution said the exercise was in line with its policy…

Daud Olatunji The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 62-year-old Nigerian-American grandmother, Anetor Gloria Ubong, with 9.45 kilogrammes of high-grade cannabis, popularly known as loud, at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos. The agency also arrested a physically challenged 46-year-old woman, Helen Bakporo Samson, with six kilogrammes of cannabis in Warri, Delta State, as part of a series of nationwide operations targeting drug trafficking and the distribution of illicit substances. The arrests, according to the NDLEA, were among several enforcement operations that resulted in the seizure of large quantities of cannabis, pharmaceutical opioids and other controlled substances across…