Author: Platform Times Newspaper

By Bashir Adefaka The Yoruba people have, for centuries, maintained a rich cultural and religious heritage shaped by diversity, coexistence and mutual respect. Across generations, Yoruba communities have accommodated different religious traditions, including Isese, Islam and Christianity, while preserving a shared cultural identity rooted in language, customs, family values and communal bonds. However, growing instances of inflammatory rhetoric and religious provocation from individuals who claim to speak in the name of Isese or Christianity are raising concerns about the future of peaceful coexistence among Yoruba Muslims, Christians and traditional worshippers. Traditional rulers, religious leaders and community authorities have an important…

Former Ogun State Governor and Senator representing Ogun East, Gbenga Daniel, has approved the appointment of a former bank executive, Dr. Babatunde Onadeko, as the Executive Secretary of the Gateway Front Foundation, alongside veteran physician, Dr. Bankole Adegboyega Osisanya, as the Foundation’s Chief Medical Consultant. The appointments, announced in a statement issued by the OGD Media Office on Saturday, are aimed at strengthening the institutional capacity of the Foundation and enhancing the delivery of its humanitarian, healthcare, educational and community development programmes. According to the statement, Daniel said the appointments reflected his commitment to repositioning the Foundation through the engagement…

…Says directive politicises education sector, violates civil service neutrality The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has accused the state government of allegedly using public school teachers and headteachers for partisan political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 governorship election. The opposition party alleged that officials of the Ogun State Teaching Service Commission and the State Universal Basic Education Board directed teachers and headteachers across the state to attend a meeting with the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi. The PDP, in a statement issued on Saturday by the media aide to…

Today on Platform Times Newspaper, 1st August, 2026. Visit www.platformtimes.com.ng for many more stories.

… 486 Suspects Arrested, 57 Insurgents Surrender Nationwide …Military Destroys 18 Illegal Refineries, Recovers 1,870 Weapons Daud Olatunji The Defence Headquarters has disclosed that troops deployed across various theatres of operation killed 102 suspected terrorists, bandits, illegal miners and criminal informants in July as part of ongoing military offensives nationwide. The military also said its operations led to the arrest of 486 suspects, the rescue of 393 kidnapped victims and the surrender of 57 insurgents during the period. The figures were contained in the Defence Headquarters’ monthly operational infographic released on Thursday, highlighting the outcome of military operations conducted across…

The Federal Government has expanded its Presidential Forest Guards Initiative to 10 states, with over 9,000 personnel trained to strengthen security across forests, border communities and other ungoverned areas serving as hideouts for kidnappers, bandits and other criminal groups. The Office of the National Security Adviser disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that the programme is being coordinated by the ONSA and implemented under the operational leadership of the Department of State Services. According to the statement, the latest phase of the initiative covers Kaduna, Edo and Kogi states, where more than 2,000 newly trained forest guards have…

A presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s handling of the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State, declaring that he would have personally led efforts to secure their rescue if he were Nigeria’s president. Obi said effective leadership requires visible action during national emergencies, insisting that he would not have waited for more than 50 days before taking decisive steps to free the victims. The former Anambra State governor spoke during an interview on Afia TV on Thursday while reacting to the kidnapping of dozens of pupils and teachers from schools…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo on Friday reignited his long-running political rift with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, declaring that selecting him as his running mate in the 1999 presidential election was the biggest mistake he made while serving as Nigeria’s president. Obasanjo made the remark during a fireside chat with veteran entertainer Charles Oputa, popularly known as Charly Boy, at the unveiling of Charly Boy’s foundation and his memoir, 999: A Memoir in Tribute to Late Justice Chukwudifu Oputa. Responding to a question on the greatest mistake of his presidency, the former Nigerian leader said he would never have chosen…

Fawaz Adebisi A 30-year-old housewife, Habse Ubale, has been beaten to death after being accused of witchcraft in Garin Malam community, Gamawa Local Government Area of Bauchi State. The attack, which also left her husband and two children with varying degrees of injuries, has triggered the arrest of one suspect, while two others are currently on the run. The Bauchi State Police Command disclosed the incident in a statement issued on Friday by its Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib. According to the police, the incident occurred in the early hours of July 28 when the suspects allegedly stormed the…

The Elegant Nurses Forum has accused authorities in Ogun State of attempting to intimidate and victimise a nurse allegedly assaulted while on duty at the Judiciary Staff Clinic in Ilaro, warning that any move to transfer the health worker while investigations are ongoing would amount to victimisation. The group also raised fresh allegations of workplace abuse and sexual harassment within judiciary health facilities across the state, calling for an independent investigation into the claims. In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its National Coordinator, Thomas Abiodun Olamide, the forum alleged that the handling of the assault case had…