Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Defence Headquarters on Friday acknowledged that Nigeria’s security challenges remain deeply concerning, even as troops intensified nationwide operations that led to the arrest of 57 suspected terrorists, the killing of 26 others, and the rescue of 35 kidnapped victims within one week. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Michael Onoja, admitted that despite ongoing military gains across different theatres, the level of insecurity still falls short of public expectations. Speaking at the weekly operational briefing in Abuja, Onoja said the Armed Forces were not indifferent to the fears of Nigerians, especially families affected by violent attacks and abductions. “No…

Tragedy struck in Maiduguri on Wednesday as a police inspector, Abdulkadir Garba, was killed by a lightning strike while on duty, the Borno State Police Command has confirmed. Garba, popularly known as “Buratai,” was said to be coordinating vehicle parking opposite the command headquarters when the incident occurred at about 2:19 p.m. The command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, disclosed this in a statement on Friday, noting that the deceased was alongside a senior colleague, ASP Wazani Adamu, who survived the incident. According to Daso, the officers had attempted to take cover as strong winds signalled an approaching rainfall…

The Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday again adjourned indefinitely the leadership dispute rocking the African Democratic Congress following a fresh controversy over a request to transfer the case to another judge. Justice Emeka Nwite put the matter on hold after a disagreement between parties over a letter written by the plaintiff, Nafiu Bala Gombe, to the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, seeking the reassignment of the suit. At the resumed hearing, counsel for the plaintiff, Luka Haruna, informed the court that the Supreme Court had, on April 30, dismissed an interlocutory appeal filed in the matter…

The Nigeria Police Force has reaffirmed that the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad has not been reintroduced in any form, amid renewed public concerns over alleged police brutality across the country. The Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 2, Olohundare Jimoh, stated on Friday that there was no truth in claims that former SARS operatives had been regrouped under new tactical units. Speaking during an interview on Sunrise Daily, a breakfast programme on Channels Television, Jimoh maintained that the controversial unit, disbanded in the wake of the 2020 nationwide EndSARS protests, remained dissolved. “The SARS has been disbanded, and…

No fewer than 36 soldiers and Mobile Police officers have been reportedly killed following coordinated attacks by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on two military formations in Gujba Local Government Area. The midnight assaults, which occurred around 1am on Friday, targeted the Theatre Training Centre Buniyadi and the 27 Task Force Brigade Buni Gari, both located in the hometown of Mai Mala Buni. Surviving security personnel said the insurgents launched near-simultaneous attacks on the two facilities, overwhelming parts of the formations and engaging troops in hours-long gun battles. A soldier, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the attackers struck both…

Members of the defunct The Osun Progressives, a political group loyal to former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, have rejoined the All Progressives Congress and declared support for its governorship candidate, Munirudeen Oyebamiji, ahead of the August 15 election. The group, now rebranded as Osun Progressives Ambassadors, announced its return in a statement issued on Thursday and signed by its leader, Adeniran Ajala. Ajala said the decision followed what he described as “years of political miscalculations,” noting that members had initially aligned with TOP to strengthen the APC but later discovered the platform had deviated from its founding ideals. According…

…18  Govs Back Uzodimma Amid Rival Faction Claims …Tension Rises Ahead Of 2027 Election Confusion has engulfed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Governors’ Forum following reports of a leadership dispute that has reportedly split the body into rival blocs, even as 18 governors on Friday publicly reaffirmed their support for Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodimma, as chairman. The development, which emerged ahead of the 2027 general elections, has sparked renewed concerns over internal cohesion within the party’s top decision-making platform for governors. …Rival Factions Emerge Amid Leadership Dispute According to emerging reports, the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) has become…

The protracted leadership crisis rocking the Okewaye Ruling House of Ado-Odo, Ogun State, has been resolved following a consent judgment of the Ogun State High Court sitting in Idi-Oke. PLATFORM TIMES reports that the court adopted terms of settlement in Suit No. HCI/19/2024, affirming Prince (Chief) Sulaimon Babatunde Adedimeji as the substantive Olori-Ebi (head) of the ruling house. The suit was instituted by Adedimeji and others against the Ogun State Government and several defendants, including Prince Mufutau Francis Adekunle, who had laid claim to the family headship. As part of the settlement, Adekunle formally conceded the position to Adedimeji and…

The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar, has declared that individuals who kill innocent people in the name of Islam, including suicide bombers shouting “Allahu Akbar”, are destined for hell. The monarch made the assertion on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 first triennial meeting of the Nigerian Inter-Religious Council, where he warned against the growing tendency to link criminality with religion. In a strongly worded address, the Sultan said no act of violence carried out under the guise of religion would earn divine reward, stressing that perpetrators would…

The Governor of Katsina State, Dikko Radda, has raised the alarm over alleged infiltration of government structures, security agencies, and local communities by informants who supply sensitive information to bandits, thereby frustrating ongoing counter-insurgency operations in the state. Radda said the activities of such “moles” have severely undermined the fight against insecurity, revealing that criminal networks are often alerted shortly after high-level security decisions are taken. The governor made the revelations in an exclusive interview, where he cited a notorious bandit leader identified simply as Mohammed, alleging that the suspect benefits from real-time intelligence supplied by insiders across different sectors.…