Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A fresh legal dispute has emerged between Mrs Aichatou El-Rufai, wife of former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, following a N2bn pre-action notice issued against the anti-graft agency over alleged defamation. Mrs El-Rufai, through her legal representatives, accused the commission of publishing statements that allegedly tarnished her reputation and portrayed her as dishonest in the eyes of the public. The dispute stems from a press release issued by the ICPC on May 18, 2026, titled “Clarification on the Access Control Protocol at ICPC Headquarters, Abuja,” and signed by its spokesperson,…

Law enforcement authorities in Thailand and the United States have cracked down on separate fraud schemes involving Nigerian nationals, resulting in the arrest of six suspects in Bangkok and the sentencing of a Nigerian-American in Alaska. In Thailand, police arrested six Nigerians during a raid on a luxury condominium in Nonthaburi province over their alleged involvement in a romance scam network targeting unsuspecting victims. The operation, codenamed “Dark Room Crackdown,” followed weeks of investigations into foreign criminal syndicates linked to suspicious financial transactions. Officers executed search warrants on three apartments in a riverside condominium near Phra Nang Klao Bridge in…

Operatives of the Nigerian Police Force, in collaboration with local hunters, have rescued 12 passengers abducted during a midnight attack along the Isua Akoko axis of Ondo State, following a coordinated bush-combing operation that has now entered an intensified manhunt phase for the fleeing suspects. The victims were among passengers travelling in two commercial Hummer buses from Benue State to Ibadan when armed kidnappers ambushed them around 1:30 a.m. on Friday, forcing several occupants into nearby forest after blocking the highway. Confirming the incident on Saturday, the Police Public Relations Officer in Ondo State, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said the attackers…

The Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC) has announced a temporary increase in train operations on the Lagos–Ibadan Standard Gauge corridor ahead of the Eid-el-Kabir (Sallah) celebration, following an anticipated surge in passenger movement across the route. The adjustment, which takes effect from Tuesday, May 26, is aimed at easing transportation pressure as thousands of Nigerians travel to reunite with family and loved ones for the festive period. In a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos by the NRC Chief Public Relations Officer, Mr. Callistus Unyimadu, the corporation said the decision was part of its contingency measures to ensure smooth travel during…

More than 1.5 million international pilgrims have arrived in Saudi Arabia for the 2026 Hajj, officials have confirmed, as the annual Islamic pilgrimage proceeds amid heightened tensions in the Middle East. Saudi authorities said the influx has surpassed last year’s international turnout, despite disruptions linked to ongoing regional hostilities that have affected air travel and raised transportation costs across parts of the Gulf. The conflict, triggered by US and Israeli strikes on Iran in late February, escalated into retaliatory attacks that disrupted airspace operations across the region, forcing temporary flight cancellations and rerouting of international travel. Major airlines in the…

Troops of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadin Kai, have neutralised 12 terrorists in a fierce encounter along the Kirawa axis of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, recovering AK-47 rifles, rocket-propelled grenade systems, ammunition and a PKT machine gun. The insurgents, suspected to be fighters of Boko Haram/ISWAP, reportedly attempted to infiltrate military positions held by the 153 Task Force Battalion near the Nigeria–Cameroon border in the early hours of Friday, but were repelled after troops detected the movement and engaged them with superior firepower. A military statement by the Theatre Command spokesperson, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, said…

Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has said Nigerian politicians will continue looting public resources unless citizens take decisive action to hold them accountable. Amaechi made the remark on Friday during an appearance on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television, where he reiterated a controversial stance he first expressed years ago while serving as governor of Rivers State. According to him, the failure of citizens to demand accountability has emboldened political leaders to perpetuate corruption and poor governance. He said, “As a governor of Rivers State at Freedom House in a ceremony organised by Prof. Wole Soyinka, I told…

Abdulaziz Umar Ganduje, son of a former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, has declared his intention to contest for a seat in the House of Representatives under the New Democratic Coalition. Abdulaziz is seeking to represent Dawakin Tofa/Tofa/Rimin Gado Federal Constituency of Kano State, marking a significant political realignment away from his family’s longstanding ties with the APC. Findings by PLATFORM TIMES indicate that the younger Ganduje has already obtained the nomination form of the NDC, a move widely interpreted as a shift towards the political camp of former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.…

The Executive Director of the Centre Against Injustice and Domestic Violence, Gbenga Soloki, has raised the alarm over alleged large-scale manipulation of party primary elections across Nigeria, warning that the trend could undermine the country’s democratic stability. Soloki, in an open letter addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accused political parties of routinely producing predetermined outcomes that do not reflect the true will of delegates. He alleged that results of many primaries were often fabricated in private locations, including hotels and residences, even before voting processes were concluded. According to the civil society advocate, party members who participate in primaries…

Residents and core indigenes of Iro Township in Obafemi/Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State have called on the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Michael Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, to urgently facilitate the installation of a new Oniro of Iro, citing a recent court judgment and growing security concerns in the community. The demand was contained in a letter dated May 21, 2026, jointly signed by the Chairman of Iro Core Indigenes, Alhaji Saliu Wale Bankole, and the Secretary, Comrade Kamorudeen Akindele. The group said the appeal followed a judgment delivered on May 12, 2026, in Suit No. AB/292/2013…