Author: Platform Times Newspaper

… Torch Of Unity Handed to Gov Abiodun … Meal Contractors Cry Out Over N2.7bn Looming Job Loss With over 15,000 athletes, officials, and sports enthusiasts converging in Ogun State for the 22nd edition of the National Sports Festival, tagged Gateway Games 2025, excitement and anxiety trail the much-anticipated sporting fiesta, which officially begins Friday, May 16. The two-week event, which runs till May 30, will feature 549 competitive events with 2,150 medals up for grabs across various sporting disciplines. However, the air of celebration has been clouded by infrastructural delays and a brewing controversy involving over 80 caterers who…

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested five individuals, including a female guardian, for allegedly selling a two-week-old baby boy for N3 million in the Ajah area of the state. The suspects were identified as Nonye Osi, Akintan Adedayo, Jimoh Bashiru, Elizabeth Bishop, and Bukola Oladapo. According to police authorities, the arrest followed a detailed investigation by detectives attached to the Gender/Anti-Human Trafficking Unit of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Panti. Police spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, said the case was first reported at the Ajah Police Division on May 5, 2025. A 16-year-old girl, simply identified as Happiness, was…

The Niger State Police Command has apprehended three suspected fraudsters who allegedly posed as operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to kidnap and extort students in Lapai, headquarters of Lapai Local Government Area. The suspects—Emmanuel Linus, 30; Hyelda Aliyu, 28; and Abduljallid Tanko, 33—all residents of Abuja, were arrested on May 13, 2025, along Suleja Road by Kwakuti, hours after they allegedly stormed a student lodge in Lapai and abducted two students. A statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Wasiu Abiodun, and made available to journalists on Thursday, revealed that the suspects used a…

As Ogun State throws open its gates for the much-anticipated 2024 National Sports Festival, leading real estate firm, DKL Multi Services Limited, has extended a warm and enterprising welcome to athletes, officials, and visitors from across the country. In a statement made available to PLATFORM TIMES, DKL urged guests to explore not just the thrill of sporting competition, but the cultural, economic, and investment opportunities that abound in the Gateway State. The company highlighted Ogun’s famed hospitality and vibrant tourism offerings, especially its iconic Adire and Kampala textile heritage, which remain a source of local pride and national identity. “Welcome…

The South West Development Association (SOWEGA) has applauded the Ogun State Government and Governor Dapo Abiodun for securing the hosting rights of the 22nd National Sports Festival, describing the move as a major stride towards youth empowerment and national unity. Chairman of the Board of Trustees of SOWEGA, Dr. Babatunde Olokun, gave the commendation in a statement made available to journalists. He lauded Governor Abiodun for “annexing the opportunity of bringing this sport event to our state for the benefit of not only the youths of the state but also of the country.” Olokun described sports as a critical platform…

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has claimed that the administration he served under, led by ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo, decisively crushed Boko Haram when it first emerged in 2002. Speaking in Abuja on Wednesday during a visit by stakeholders from Kogi East Senatorial District, led by former Kogi State Deputy Governor Simon Achuba, Atiku blamed the prolonged insurgency on what he described as the federal government’s failure to act with political will. Atiku, who served as vice president between 1999 and 2007, said the sect’s first known activities surfaced in Yobe State in 2002. He added that Obasanjo promptly convened a…

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed for second reading a bill seeking to make voting compulsory for all eligible Nigerian citizens in national and state elections. Sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, and Daniel Ago, the bill proposes amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, aimed at tackling the persistent problem of voter apathy during elections. Leading the debate on the floor of the House, Mr Ago described the bill as a strategic move to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic culture. He said the country had recorded worryingly low voter turnout in recent elections, citing the 2023 general elections…

The apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has condemned the decision of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) to reschedule the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for candidates affected by technical glitches, particularly in the South-East region. The condemnation follows the recent admission by the JAMB Registrar, Prof. Ishaq Oloyede, that widespread technical errors marred the conduct of the 2025 UTME, especially in the five South-East states and Lagos. Addressing journalists on Wednesday, Prof. Oloyede apologised to Nigerians and disclosed that 379,997 candidates across 157 examination centres would be required to retake the examination. “As Registrar of JAMB, I…

A grieving father has blamed an admitted technical glitch by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) for the tragic suicide of his 19-year-old daughter, Faith Opesusi Timileyin, who reportedly ingested rat poison after receiving a score of 146 in the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME). Mr. Opesusi Oluwafemi, speaking on Thursday, said the devastating score crushed his daughter’s hopes of studying Microbiology and pushed her into a spiral of despair. He claimed Faith had performed exceptionally in the previous year’s UTME and had high expectations for this year’s result. “My daughter scored very high in last year’s JAMB…

A 34-year-old man, Femi James, was on Thursday ordered to be remanded in a correctional facility by an Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court in Ibadan, Oyo State, over allegations of raping three sisters and another woman. The court, presided over by Magistrate Adebola Adeola, declined to take James’ plea on the grounds of lack of jurisdiction. She directed that the case file be forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) for legal advice and adjourned the case till June 19 for mention. James, whose residential address was not disclosed, is facing a charge of rape, an offence said to have been…