Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered and dismantled a major drug trafficking syndicate allegedly sponsoring Hajj pilgrims to serve as cocaine couriers to Saudi Arabia, arresting three key members of the cartel in Kano. Spokesperson for the NDLEA, Femi Babafemi, said in a statement on Sunday that the crackdown followed the arrest of two suspected drug mules, Ibrahim Umar Mustapha and Muhammad Siraj Shifado, at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport during outward clearance for an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah on May 26. Babafemi disclosed that both suspects were intercepted during final screening after operatives received actionable…

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has dismissed a trending video featuring his daughter, Jane Eddidiong Ufot, as a calculated attempt by political opponents to sow discord within his family and distract from his administration’s achievements. The governor reacted publicly to the video during the birthday celebration of former Deputy Governor, Obong Nsima Ekere, held in Uyo. The event had in attendance close family members, including Jane—who currently serves as the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Health, Safety, and Environment. In the viral clip recorded shortly after the death of Governor Eno’s wife, Patience Eno, Jane tearfully…

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir El-Rufai, has launched a scathing criticism of the current administration led by President Bola Tinubu, describing the present leadership in Nigeria as being in the grip of “urban bandits.” El-Rufai made the remark during a public lecture titled “Weaponisation of Poverty as a Means of Underdevelopment: A Case Study of Nigeria”, held in Abuja to mark the 60th birthday celebration of former Minister of Transportation and ex-Rivers State governor, Rotimi Amaechi. Speaking at the event, El-Rufai lamented the state of the nation, warning that Nigeria is facing its “biggest trouble” since the 1914 amalgamation.…

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has distributed 17 brand new 2025 model Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) to chairmen of local government areas in the state, in what he described as a renewed commitment to strengthening grassroots governance. The event, held on Saturday in Benin City, saw the governor hand over the vehicles alongside Deputy Governor Dennis Idahosa and other top state officials. In his remarks, Mr Okpebholo reiterated that his administration would not tamper with local government allocations, stressing that local councils are now fully empowered to steer development in their domains. “My administration will not interfere with council…

A former Minister of Transportation and two-time Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Tinubu, declaring that the President lacks the capacity to lead Nigeria. Amaechi, who spoke on Saturday at an event to mark his 60th birthday in Abuja, said his decision not to support or vote for Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election was based on the latter’s perceived inability to govern effectively. “I told Tinubu in Yola, I will not support you; I will not work for you. I did not work for him; I did not vote for him.…

The Kano State Government has announced a compensation of ₦1 million to each of the families of 22 athletes who died in a tragic road accident while returning from the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The Deputy Governor, Aminu Abdussalam Gwarzo, disclosed this on Saturday during a condolence visit to the morgue at Nasarawa Hospital, where the bodies of most of the deceased athletes were deposited. Gwarzo, who spoke on behalf of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, described the incident as a painful tragedy for both the state and the nation. “This is a very sad day for Kano…

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested two suspects in Kano State over alleged possession of counterfeit foreign currency totaling $899,800. The suspects, Abubakar Hussaini, 42, and Sahabi Adamu, 53, were apprehended by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) along Maiduguri Road, Wudil, Kano State, before being handed over to the EFCC for further investigation. According to a statement released by the Kano Zonal Directorate of the anti-graft agency, the duo was traveling in a commercial Golf 3 Station Wagon en route to Kila village in Gwaram Local Government Area of Jigawa State when they…

Tragedy struck on Saturday as no fewer than 20 athletes from the Kano State contingent lost their lives in a fatal motor accident while returning from the just-concluded National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games, held in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The accident, which occurred at the Dakatsalle Bridge in the Kura Local Government Area of Kano State, involved a bus conveying about 30 athletes. The vehicle reportedly plunged off the bridge, leading to multiple fatalities and injuries. Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Fagge, said, “As I am talking to you now, we have counted…

The Federal Government has proposed the establishment of a National Examination Malpractice Tribunal to enable prompt prosecution of individuals found guilty of cheating in examinations across Nigeria. Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, announced the proposal in Abuja on Friday while receiving the report of a 17-member committee on improving the quality of examinations in the country. The committee was chaired by the Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede. Dr. Alausa assured that the 12-point recommendations contained in the report would be fully implemented, stressing the need for urgent reforms to restore the integrity…

The Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, has appointed Prof. Adebambo Adewale Oduwole as the new University Librarian. The  University Registrar and Secretary to Council, Dapo Oke disclosed this in a statement  made available to PLATFORM TIMES on Saturday. The statement stated that appointment  was made by the institution’s Governing Council, asking Prof. Oduwole to  officially assume duty on Monday, June 2, 2025. Born on July 26, 1969, in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, Prof. Oduwole makes history as the first alumnus of Olabisi Onabanjo University (formerly Ogun State University), Ago-Iwoye, to occupy the role since TASUED’s inception 35…