Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A video showing a female candidate removing her hijab before sitting for the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination in Ibadan, Oyo State, has triggered widespread concern and debate over alleged infringement on religious rights. The footage, which surfaced on social media platform X on Thursday, was reportedly recorded at Esther Oshikoya Computer-Based Test Centre along Sango-Eleyele Road in Ibadan. In the clip, the candidate is seen taking off her hijab before proceeding into the examination premises. However, the exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear. A user, Alfa Shehu, who shared the video, alleged that candidates wearing hijabs were compelled…

A pro-Goodluck Jonathan group, the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Project, has faulted former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over his recent claim that the ex-president’s administration was “inexperienced,” describing the comment as inaccurate and politically motivated. The group, through its National Coordinator, Juan Amechee Governor, said in a statement on Thursday that Atiku lacked the moral standing to assess Jonathan’s leadership record, insisting that the former president’s political trajectory reflected substantial experience before assuming office. The group said, “To describe Dr. Jonathan as ‘inexperienced’ is a flight from reality. Before becoming president, he served as deputy governor, governor, vice president and acting…

Tension has gripped Odo-Ore community in Isin Local Government Area of Kwara State following the abduction of a school proprietor and four farmers by suspected terrorists. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the assailants, numbering about 10, stormed the quiet agrarian settlement on Wednesday night, firing sporadically before whisking away five residents. Sources said the attackers invaded the residence of a prominent politician and proprietor, Alhaji Yusuf Yunusa, at about 11pm, forcefully breaking into his home and abducting him at gunpoint. The victim was said to have arrived in the community earlier that day and was preparing to retire for the night…

No fewer than 14 passengers, including candidates of the ongoing Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, were abducted by suspected gunmen on Wednesday night along the Makurdi–Otukpo Road in Benue State. The victims were reportedly travelling in a commercial bus operated by Benue Links from Makurdi to Otukpo when the attackers intercepted the vehicle at about 8pm and whisked the passengers into a nearby forest. Sources told PLATFORM TIMES that most of the abducted passengers were young men and women heading to Otukpo to sit for the examination scheduled for Thursday. It was gathered that the assailants stopped the vehicle near Otukpo…

Former Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, has told a United Kingdom court that she had minimal influence over the approval of oil contracts during her tenure, describing her role as largely ceremonial. Alison-Madueke, who is standing trial at the Southwark Crown Court, said most contract decisions in Nigeria’s oil sector were concluded before reaching her desk, with key operational authority residing in the leadership of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation. Testifying during proceedings, the former minister explained that the petroleum industry’s structure involved multiple layers of review across agencies, leaving the ministry with primarily oversight functions. According to her,…

A Federal High Court sitting in Kano has sentenced a 20-year-old drug suspect, Muhammad Maharazu, to 15 years’ imprisonment for drug trafficking and attempting to attack operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency during his arrest. The trial judge, Justice S.M. Shuaibu, handed down the verdict on Tuesday after the successful prosecution of the case by the NDLEA. The court ordered that the sentence should take immediate effect from the date of judgment, with no option of fine. According to a statement issued by the Public Relations Officer of the NDLEA Kano Command, Sadiq Muhammad Maigatari, the convict was…

Governor Seyi Makinde on Thursday intervened in a brewing leadership crisis at the Oyo State House of Assembly, halting an alleged plot to impeach the Speaker and restoring calm after hours of tension. The crisis, which unsettled political circles in Ibadan, followed a reportedly heated closed-door meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party caucus in the Assembly earlier in the day. Sources familiar with the development told PLATFORM TIMES that what was expected to be a routine meeting degenerated into a confrontation, with lawmakers sharply divided over an alleged move to remove the Speaker. The situation was said to have exposed…

The Nigeria Customs Service has raised fresh concerns over an alleged plot by terrorists to launch coordinated attacks on key national assets in the Federal Capital Territory and neighbouring Niger State. According to an internal security memo obtained by TheCable, the planned targets include the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, a correctional facility within Abuja, and a military detention centre in Niger State. The memo, which has reportedly been circulated among relevant security and intelligence agencies, warned of imminent threats and urged heightened vigilance as well as proactive countermeasures to prevent possible breaches. It was gathered that the alert forms part…

No fewer than 2.2 million candidates on Thursday commenced the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination across the country, marking one of Nigeria’s largest coordinated educational exercises. The examination, conducted by the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, is scheduled to run from April 16 to April 22 in multiple sessions across accredited Computer-Based Test centres nationwide. Registrar of JAMB, Is-haq Oloyede, charged officials to demonstrate professionalism and commitment, noting that the success of the exercise largely depends on their diligence. Oloyede, who spoke during a virtual final briefing for technical officers, commended staff, ad hoc personnel and service providers for their…

Babcock University has called for a deliberate and accelerated adoption of Artificial Intelligence to address Africa’s developmental challenges, stressing that the continent’s future hinges more on innovation than natural resources. The President/Vice Chancellor of the institution, Afolarin Ojewole, made the call while speaking at the International Conference on Knowledge, Innovation, and Artificial Intelligence for Sustainable Information Professions hosted by the university. Ojewole said Africa must embrace emerging technologies to remain competitive globally, noting that ideas, creativity and leadership would play a more decisive role than raw materials in shaping the continent’s future. “The future of Africa will not be built…