Author: Platform Times Newspaper

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…

The Ojibara of Bayagan in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, Alhaji Kamilu Salami, has regained freedom after escaping from kidnappers who abducted him on Saturday morning while he was working on his farm. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the monarch escaped alongside six other abductees after local vigilante operatives launched a coordinated assault on the kidnappers deep inside the forest late Saturday. A community source disclosed that the vigilante team traced the captors to the Eku Idaji forest axis, near Igbaja, where a fierce gun duel reportedly forced the bandits to abandon the victims. “The vigilantes engaged them seriously.…

A Kano State High Court on Monday sentenced a 22-year-old man, Najibullah Alkasim, to death by hanging for killing his neighbour during a street celebration at Dakata Quarters in Nasarawa Local Government Area. Justice Farida Dabappa, who delivered the judgment, held that the prosecution had established its case of culpable homicide beyond reasonable doubt against the accused. “I hereby sentence Alkasim to death by hanging for stabbing the deceased on his chest, which resulted in his death,” Justice Dabappa ruled. The tragic incident occurred on January 19, 2024, during a party organized to celebrate an election victory in the community.…

A multi-million naira Mini Community Library funded by the AMACOS 94/99 Set of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, in partnership with After God’s Heart Incorporated (AGH), is set for inauguration in Abeokuta North Local Government Area. The project, described as a major boost to educational development in the council, forms part of the legacy interventions of the AMACOS 94/99 Set as they mark their #30YearsOfFriendshipAndTogetherness reunion. Located within the Abeokuta North LGA secretariat, the Mini Library is equipped with reading desks, shelves, reference books, study materials and other learning resources designed to support students preparing for examinations such as WAEC and…

Former National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Olisa Metuh, on Sunday announced his formal defection to the All Progressives Congress (APC), declaring that the PDP deserted him during his most trying years. Metuh, who clocked 60, made the announcement during a thanksgiving service in Abuja, marking his return to partisan politics three years after he publicly withdrew from all political activities. The event drew a high-profile crowd, including Imo State Governor, Hope Uzodinma; former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim; former governors Sam Egwu, Okezie Ikpeazu and Ikedi Ohakim; Senator Victor Umeh; and former lawmaker Tony Nwoye,…