Author: Platform Times Newspaper

… UK, US, Schengen Embassies Rake In Billions From Nigerian Applicants An investigation has revealed that Nigerians spend over N75 billion every year on non-refundable visa application fees to countries including the United States, United Kingdom, and members of the Schengen area, among others. Despite the high cost of visa applications, more than 60 per cent of these requests are rejected, forcing many applicants to reapply repeatedly—each time incurring new charges. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that these rejections result in a massive outflow of funds with no guarantee of travel approval. For instance, analysis shows that the United States embassy charges…

President Bola Tinubu has announced the renaming of the University of Maiduguri to Muhammadu Buhari University, in honour of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, who died on Sunday in London. Tinubu made the announcement during a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session held in Abuja on Thursday, describing Buhari as a man of integrity, discipline, and unwavering patriotism. He said “his life was a rebuke to vice and a refuge for virtue,” Tinubu declared, adding that Buhari’s legacy would endure for generations. “His presence once commanded this very room. His voice once summoned the best in us, and his…

Tragedy struck in Ondo State as the police command on Wednesday confirmed the arrest of a landlord and two accomplices over the abduction, rape, and gruesome murder of two students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko. The suspects, including the landlord identified as Oladele Femi, allegedly connived to kidnap and kill the victims—25-year-old Abah John Friday and his 19-year-old female friend, Okah Andrel Eloho. Commissioner of Police, Adebowale Lawal, who briefed journalists in Akure, described the killings as “brutal and senseless,” revealing that the victims were abducted on June 20, 2025. According to the police chief, the investigation commenced after a…

Troops of the Nigerian military have intercepted a N13.7 million bribe offered by suspected terrorists in Plateau State and arrested 12 persons during a series of operations across the North Central region. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, disclosed this during a media briefing on Thursday in Abuja, describing the action of the soldiers as a display of rare integrity and professionalism in the face of criminal inducement. Kangye explained that the troops were responding to a distress call along Jos-Sanga Road in Plateau when they intercepted two suspects attempting to flee in a bullet-ridden vehicle.…

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Maitama, Abuja, on Thursday rejected a fresh bid by former Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello, to retrieve his passport for a medical trip to the United Kingdom, amid ongoing trial over alleged N110.4 billion fraud. Justice Maryanne Anineh struck out the application, ruling that her court lacked the jurisdiction to grant the request since the passport in question was deposited with the Federal High Court, not the FCT High Court handling the current proceedings. Bello, who is standing trial alongside Umar Shuaibu Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu on a 16-count charge bordering on criminal…

The Nigerian military has arrested two members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) over allegations of supplying arms and military uniforms to terrorists in Borno State. Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, made this known during a press briefing on Thursday, revealing that the suspects—identified as Isah Abdullahi and Abdullahi Mohammed—were apprehended in the Liya area of Biu Local Government Area. Kangye said the arrest followed credible intelligence that led troops to intercept a suspicious consignment being received by the suspects from a truck driver. “Two members of the NURTW identified as Isah Abdullahi…

As political permutations ahead of the 2027 general elections gather steam, activist and lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, has stirred the hornet’s nest with a bold claim that no Southern politician stands a chance of defeating President Bola Tinubu at the polls—except former President Goodluck Jonathan. Adeyanju, in a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, argued that the opposition’s most viable route to dislodging Tinubu would be through a Jonathan-Rabiu Kwankwaso joint ticket or a younger Northern candidate paired with Labour Party’s Peter Obi. “No Southern candidate can defeat Tinubu except Goodluck Jonathan,” Adeyanju wrote, warning that any…

Traditional religion adherents in Ogun State have expressed outrage over the burial of the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Adetona, saying the exclusion of Isese rites from the monarch’s final journey was a disrespect to Yoruba cultural heritage. The Isese community, under the aegis of Isese Worshippers of Ogun State, voiced their concerns during a meeting held in Aneokuta to review the incident. The session, chaired by Oba Dr. Ifarotimi Adifagbola Balogun, the Oba Isese of Ogun State, condemned the manner in which Islamic rites were exclusively observed at the burial, sidelining the traditional ceremonies historically linked with royal…

Balkis Adeniji  A political group, Progressives Vanguard, has thrown its weight behind the 2027 governorship ambition of former Nigerian  High Commissioner to  the United  Kingdom, Sarafa Tunji Isola, hailing him as a seasoned administrator with the pedigree to steer Ogun State toward accelerated development. At a strategic meeting held on Tuesday, July 16, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the group—which draws membership from across the 20 local government areas of the state—formally endorsed Isola, citing his extensive experience in public service. Speaking at the gathering, the group’s leader, Hon. Ayobami Makinde, emphasized the need for unity among supporters ahead…

 By Hon. (Chief) Olalekan A. Shoyinka (Ayinla Egba) United Premier Movement, Abeokuta South Local Government The political terrain of Nigeria was jolted yet again with the news of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s reported exit from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). For many of us who identify as progressive-minded politicians, this news lands not as a loss, but as a long-awaited gust of fresh air — the beginning of what could be a genuine cleansing and rebuilding process for a party that once held so much promise. If I were a card-carrying member of the PDP, I would interpret Atiku’s departure as…