Author: Platform Times Newspaper

… 5,061 Illegal Copies Seized From Nine Bookshops … Commission Vows Tougher Crackdown On Piracy … Offenders Fined, Materials Forfeite Daud Olatunji The Nigerian Copyright Commission has intensified its nationwide anti-piracy campaign with the destruction of 5,061 pirated books valued at N50.6m seized from bookshops across Ondo and Ekiti states. The illegal publications were publicly shredded on Thursday at the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps office in Akure, Ondo State, in an exercise led by the NCC Director-General, Mr John Asein, who was represented by the Oyo State Coordinator of the commission, Mr Oluropo Oke. Asein disclosed that the…

Ogun State Government has formally handed over Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, to the Federal Government, marking a major milestone in the institution’s transition to federal status and Nigeria’s push to strengthen teacher education. Governor Dapo Abiodun sealed the transfer on Thursday during the university’s 17th convocation ceremony, where he signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Said Ahmad, who represented the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Alausa. The event was also marked by a major boost for female education as the wife of the President, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, announced a…

The Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Umara Zulum, has approved the immediate direct payment of monthly statutory allocations to the 27 local government areas of the state, in a move aimed at strengthening grassroots governance and promoting transparency. The approval was announced on Thursday by the Acting Governor, Alhaji Umar Usman Kadafur, shortly after the swearing-in of newly elected council chairpersons in Maiduguri. Kadafur said the policy aligns with the recent Supreme Court judgment affirming the financial autonomy of local governments, as well as President Bola Tinubu’s December 2025 directive urging governors to ensure full implementation of the ruling nationwide.…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control on Thursday resumed full enforcement of its ban on alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and small plastic or glass bottles below 200 millilitres, insisting that the move is aimed at protecting children and other vulnerable Nigerians from harmful alcohol use. The agency said no alcohol-producing company had been shut down, dismissing claims circulating on social media that factories had been sealed, and clarified that only specific packaging formats were affected. Speaking on the enforcement, the Director-General of NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, said the action followed a directive of the Nigerian…

The Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, has faulted the heavy media attention given in Nigeria to President Bola Tinubu’s brief stumble during his official visit to Turkey, describing the reaction as misplaced and unnecessary. Dabiri-Erewa said Turkish officials were surprised that the minor incident became headline news in Nigeria, even as it was ignored by mainstream media in Turkey, where focus remained on the outcomes of the President’s visit. She disclosed this on Wednesday while reacting to a post on X by a user, Oguntoye Opeyemi, popularly known as Equityoyo, who criticised Nigerian media for amplifying…

The Chairman of Akoko-Edo Local Government Area of Edo State, Hon. Alabi Bliss Oshionogue, has been impeached by the legislative arm of the council following a deepening crisis that split councillors and paralysed governance at the grassroots. Oshionogue’s removal was conveyed in a letter signed by seven councillors, hours after an intervention by the Edo State House of Assembly to broker peace between the chairman and the lawmakers reportedly collapsed. Sources within the council told PLATFORM TIMES that the crisis escalated when three councillors, who were absent from the reconciliation meeting, allegedly attempted to remove the seven others from office.…

No fewer than 17 Nigerians have died from Lassa fever in the first three weeks of 2026 as the disease continues to spread across eight states, the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has said. In its latest weekly epidemiological report released on Thursday, the agency disclosed that 93 confirmed cases had been recorded in Bauchi, Taraba, Plateau, Ondo, Edo, Ebonyi, Benue and Nasarawa states, with Bauchi alone accounting for about 46 per cent of the infections. The NCDC said the current case fatality rate stood at 18.1 per cent, slightly lower than the 18.2 per cent recorded…

The Nigeria Customs Service, NCS, Ogun 1 Area Command has recorded a remarkable 84.3% revenue increase in the first 28 days of 2026, collecting and remitting ₦106,277,312 to the federation account. This strong performance marks an impressive start to the year and builds on the command’s solid gains in 2025. Acting Customs Area Controller, Deputy Comptroller Oladapo Afeni, announced the figures during a press conference at Idiroko on January 29, 2026. He compared the January haul to the ₦89.5 million generated in the same period of 2025, attributing the surge to diligent officer efforts and cooperation from compliant traders. “We…

The Ogun State Chapter of the Freelance and Independent Broadcasters’ Association of Nigeria (FIBAN) has announced a 13-day countdown to the 2026 World Radio Day celebration, starting on Sunday, 1 February, and culminating in a grand finale on 13 February at the NUT Hall, Kuto, Abeokuta. A statement jointly signed by Comrade Moses Okunlola, General Secretary and Comrade Olusoji Akindiya (Okanlomo), Publicity Secretary, Ogun FIBAN disclosed that the  theme for this year’s celebration, “Radio and Artificial Intelligence,” underscores the evolving role of radio in an increasingly digital age. Ogun FIBAN said the countdown, promoted across social media platforms, community networks, and…

The Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, FUNAAB, is set to celebrate a landmark academic harvest, with over 4,000 students set to graduate at its 33rd Convocation Ceremony on January 31, including an impressive 104 First Class Honours recipients. The institutions’ Vice Chancellor, Professor Olusola Kehinde revealed this on Wednesday at a press briefing held at the school’s red chamber. While addressing the press, he also added that the institution matriculated 6,356 new students for the current session, making it the largest intake in nearly 40 years. “Once again, I say congratulations to our graduating class,” Prof Professor Olusola Babatunde Kehinde…