Author: Platform Times Newspaper

In a sudden development, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Alhaji Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has resigned his appointment with immediate effect, citing health reasons, the Presidency confirmed on Monday. A statement by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said the minister formally tendered his resignation in a letter dated December 1. “President Tinubu has accepted the resignation and thanked Alhaji Badaru Abubakar for his service to the nation,” the statement read. The 63-year-old former Jigawa State governor, who served two terms from 2015 to 2023, was appointed as Nigeria’s Defence Minister on August 21, 2023, by…

The Nigerian government has granted asylum and special protection to Fernando Costa, the main opposition presidential candidate in Guinea-Bissau, following reports of imminent threats to his life amid a political crisis in the West African nation. Costa, who challenged incumbent President Umaro Embalo in the November 23, 2025, presidential election, was placed under protection at the Nigerian Embassy in Bissau after the military seized power just hours before election results were to be announced, suspended the polls, and imposed a nationwide curfew. In a letter to the President of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission, Omar Alieu…

The Chief Promoter of the Alternative Movement, Segun Showunmi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to pursue a political solution in the case of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), who was recently sentenced to life imprisonment by a Federal High Court in Abuja. Kanu was convicted on seven terrorism-related charges after the court found that his broadcasts advocating for Biafra incited violence and contributed to killings in parts of the country. Following the ruling, the Department of State Services (DSS) transferred him to the Nigerian Correctional Centre in Sokoto. Speaking on Monday at the “Guest…

The Nigerian Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) has called on the Nigerian Institution of Estate Surveyors and Valuers (NIESV) to deepen collaboration in the valuation of assets from failed banks, stressing that accuracy and professionalism are crucial to safeguarding depositors’ funds. Mr. Thompson Oludare Sunday, MD/CE of NDIC, made the appeal during a courtesy visit by Dr. ESV Victor Adekunle Alonge, President and Chairman of Council of NIESV, and his executive team to the NDIC Head Office in Abuja. “The NDIC relies heavily on credible and precise valuation reports from NIESV members to determine the true worth of assets during the…

Daud Olatunji Babcock University officially entered a new era of leadership on Monday, as Prof. Afolarin  Ojewole was inaugurated as the institution’s President and Vice-Chancellor, pledging a people-centered, capacity-building approach that promises to transform the academic and social environment of the university. Taking over from Prof. Ademola S. Tayo at the Babcock Sports Complex, Prof. Ojewole told the university community, council members, royal fathers, and other stakeholders: “My mission is simple: Build People. Put their development ahead of profit, programs, or politics. Nurture servant-leaders. Transform lives.” The pastor-scholar, whose academic background spans Estate Management, Religious Studies, Theology, Biblical Exegesis, and…

Nigeria’s public debt stock climbed to N152.39 trillion ($99.65 billion) in the second quarter of 2025, up from N149.38 trillion ($97.23 billion) recorded in Q1, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has revealed. According to the Nigerian Domestic and Foreign Debt Report for Q2 2025, released in Abuja on Monday, the country’s total debt, which combines external and domestic obligations, grew by 2.01 per cent quarter-on-quarter. The report showed that domestic debt accounted for N80.55 trillion ($52.67 billion), representing 52.86 per cent of total debt, while external debt stood at N71.84 trillion ($46.98 billion), or 47.14 per cent of the…

…Outpaced By Venezuela, Bangladesh Despite Policy Reforms … Experts Warn Daily Hardships, Insecurity Remain Critical Issues Daud Olatunji Nigeria has been ranked the lowest country in the world in terms of quality of life, according to the 2025 mid-year report by global database Numbeo. Out of 89 countries surveyed, Nigeria scored just 15.6 points, trailing 58.1 points behind 88th-placed Venezuela, a nation grappling with political instability and economic sanctions. The report, titled “Quality of Life Index by Country 2025 Mid-Year”, assessed multiple indicators, including safety, healthcare, cost of living, climate, and general well-being. Surprisingly, countries such as Bangladesh (77 points),…

Immediate past Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, has accused his successor, Governor Monday Okpebholo, of sponsoring violent attacks against him and issuing threats meant to intimidate him. Speaking at a public event in London over the weekend, Obaseki alleged that the Edo State government funded thugs who disrupted a Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) exhibition in the United Kingdom, before trailing him to Manchester for another attempted assault. “As if that was not enough, the government paid people to come to Manchester to attack me,” Obaseki said. “Who has started this violence? Is it me? Last week, this governor…

Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has assured anxious parents and the Christian community in Niger State that the 315 pupils and staff abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, Agwarra Local Government Area, are “doing fine” and will soon regain their freedom. Ribadu gave the assurance during a solidarity visit to Bulus Yohanna, the Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese and proprietor of the school, days after the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in the state announced that 50 of the abducted students had escaped from captivity. “This is a very solemn and difficult moment…

A shocking family-linked kidnapping has been uncovered in Kebbi State as operatives of the Nigeria Police have arrested a 25-year-old woman, identified as Maryam Muhammad, for allegedly masterminding the abduction of her own four-year-old son and demanding a N5 million ransom from the child’s father. The boy, Abdulmumini Surajo, was declared missing on November 26, 2025, in Koko Local Government Area, sparking panic among residents. Hours after the disappearance, the father received a call from an unknown female voice, warning him to pay N5,000,000 to secure the child’s release. Security analyst, Zagazola Makama, who confirmed the incident, said investigators immediately…