Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Kabirat Sodunke & Boluwatife Olabode Ogun State has emerged winner of the Southwest round of the 2025 National Campus Debate organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), defeating five other states in a contest that tested intellectual depth and civic awareness. The zonal contest, held on Thursday at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta, saw Mountain Top University, representing Ogun, secure the top spot with 167 points. Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Oyo State, came second with 159 points, while Osun State College of Education clinched third place with 158 points. Contestants from Lagos, Ondo and Ekiti states also participated.…

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has facilitated the safe return of 151 Nigerians from war-torn Sudan through a charter flight under its Voluntary Humanitarian Return (VHR) programme. IOM confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday, noting that the evacuation is the third of such operations this year as Sudan continues to grapple with a conflict that has displaced nearly 10 million people. According to IOM data, as of August 26, 2025, about 9.8 million internally displaced persons had been recorded across 185 localities in Sudan, while over 4.3 million others have crossed into neighbouring countries since April 2023…

Tragedy struck in Kano on Thursday as the police confirmed the arrest of a 30-year-old man, Mutawakilu Ibrahim, for allegedly stabbing his grandparents to death during a quarrel over food. The incident occurred around 9:30 a.m. at Kofar Dawanau Quarters in Dala Local Government Area and was reported to the Dala Divisional Police Headquarters. Spokesman of the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, in a statement, said the suspect allegedly attacked his grandfather, Muhammad Dansokoto, 75, and grandmother, Hadiza Tasidi, 65, with a knife, leaving them with deep injuries. “The victims were rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital…

…Tinubu: Relief A Right, Not Sympathy For Poor Nations … .Says Africa Needs Fair Play, Not Debt Traps Daud Olatunji Nigeria has urged world leaders to adopt urgent and binding mechanisms for sovereign debt relief, describing it as a pathway to peace and prosperity rather than a gesture of charity. President Bola Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, made the appeal while delivering Nigeria’s national statement at the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on Wednesday. Tinubu called for the establishment of an international framework akin to a “court of justice for money” that would enable…

A dramatic scene played out recently when a man facing rape charges attempted to escape while being escorted to court, sparking a tense chase. The unidentified suspect, who was reportedly in handcuffs, bolted while on his way to the courtroom. In a surprising twist, the driver of the vehicle conveying him immediately gave chase, pursuing the fleeing suspect through the streets. In a video of the incident which has gone viral on social media, bystanders could be heard expressing shock as the chase unfolded. The driver eventually caught up with the suspect, preventing what could have been a major security…

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has declared a Nigerian-born man, Olumide Adebiyi Adediran, wanted over alleged bank fraud and other financial crimes, placing a $10,000 bounty on him. Adediran, 56, is accused of using the stolen identities of American citizens to fraudulently open bank and credit accounts. According to an FBI notice released on Wednesday, he allegedly attempted to withdraw funds from a fraudulent check deposit at a bank in Champaign, Illinois, in August 2001. The bureau said the suspect fled the United States in December 2001, just days before his scheduled trial on charges of bank…

… Turkey “leadership training” sparks accusations of corruption Citizens say councils prioritise luxury over development Daud Olatunji Adamawa State has been thrown into outrage following reports that 21 local government chairmen sponsored their wives on a leadership training trip to Istanbul, Turkey. The delegation, accompanied by senior officials of the state’s Ministry of Local Government, reportedly left Nigeria last week for the programme. Defending the controversial trip, Suleiman Toungo, chairman of Toungo LGA and leader of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in the state, argued that the training was necessary to equip their spouses with leadership skills.…

Nigerians may face another nationwide blackout as electricity workers on Wednesday began an indefinite strike over alleged neglect of staff welfare and unpaid salaries. The National Union of Electricity Employees (NUEE), in a memo signed by its acting General Secretary, Dominic Igwebike, directed members to immediately withdraw their services following what it described as the failure of the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) to address lingering grievances. According to the union, the industrial action became inevitable after the expiration of an ultimatum issued to the management of TCN. The unresolved issues, NUEE said, include non-implementation of the national minimum wage,…

… Commission Denies Irregularities, Insists on Merit-Based Posting A fresh controversy has erupted at the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission (TESCOM) following viral social media claims that two newly promoted principals were posted to the same school, while others promoted were left without duty posts, allegedly due to favoritism and financial inducements. The anonymous statement, which has been trending under the title “Ogun TESCOM On My Mind”, accused the commission of mismanagement, poor record keeping, and corruption in the posting of principals and vice principals across public secondary schools in the state. In the viral conversation, an unnamed principal lamented…

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to repositioning Nigeria’s creative industry as a key driver of national development through stronger international collaboration. Speaking at the opening of the Creative Economy Week 2025 in Lagos on Tuesday, the Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Hannatu Musa Musawa, said the partnership between Nigeria and the United Kingdom would accelerate capacity building, skills transfer, and job creation in the country’s creative sector. Musawa noted that while Nigeria is blessed with raw talent and abundant creativity, the industry needs training, global exposure, and institutional support to thrive. She stressed that the…