Author: Platform Times Newspaper

… Over 7,400 Children Recruited Globally In 2024 Alone …Nigeria Listed With DRC, Somalia, Syria, Myanmar Daud Olatunji Nigeria has been listed among countries with some of the highest cases of child recruitment by armed groups, the United Nations has disclosed, raising fresh concerns over the vulnerability of children in conflict-affected communities. The global body made the revelation ahead of the International Day Against the Use of Child Soldiers marked annually on February 12, warning that thousands of children are still being forced or lured into armed conflicts across the world. The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict,…

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has arrested a village head and 33 other suspects over the killing of a police officer and the burning of an NSCDC patrol vehicle during a violent attack by suspected illegal miners in Niger State. The incident occurred in the Zuzungi area of Katcha Local Government Area, where a joint security team came under heavy attack while on routine patrol of a mining site operated by Millennium Metals Mining Company. The State Commandant of the NSCDC, Suberu Siyaka Aniviye, disclosed this while briefing journalists in Minna on Saturday. He said the patrol team,…

The President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Badejo, has denied allegations linking the association to banditry, terrorism or foreign interests, declaring that the group operates strictly within Nigeria and promotes peaceful coexistence. Badejo, in a video sighted on Saturday, maintained that neither he nor the organisation he heads has any connection with criminal activities, stressing that Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore was established to protect the interests and lineage of Fulani people across the country. He said, “The organisation is based in Nigeria, not abroad, and everyone in Nigeria knows that many Fulani organisations are formed to protect the lineage…

Students of the University of Benin on Saturday grounded activities at the institution’s Ekehuan Campus, blocking the main gate in protest against a three-day power outage and acute water shortage. The demonstration left lecturers, non-academic staff, visitors and business operators stranded, as aggrieved students insisted they would not reopen the gate until water supply was fully restored. The protesters lamented that despite paying tuition and other institutional charges, basic amenities had remained unavailable, plunging hostels into what they described as unsanitary and unsafe conditions. “One of the major issues is that there has been no electricity for three days, and…

Former Anambra State governor and 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has warned that electoral officials who fail to count votes in the 2027 general elections would be held accountable, stressing that Nigerians must defend the sanctity of their ballots. Obi issued the warning while addressing supporters during a political engagement in Akwa Ibom State, where he emphasised voter participation and the need for transparency in the electoral process. “In the upcoming election in 2027, anybody who refuses to count our vote, we will count the person join. Anybody who refuses to count our votes in 2027, we will count him,”…

A yet-to-be-identified driver of a Mercedes-Benz C-300 has fled after allegedly crushing a woman to death along the NYSC Bus Stop inward Igando area of Lagos State. The tragic incident occurred on Saturday morning as the victim was reportedly on her way to a service at the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries, Igando. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority said the driver abandoned the vehicle and escaped immediately after the accident. The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who confirmed the development in a statement on Saturday, described the driver’s action as a grave violation of both legal…

President Bola Tinubu on Saturday attended the 61st edition of the annual Argungu International Fishing Festival in Kebbi State, pledging support for the promotion of the centuries-old cultural event to global prominence. The President arrived in Argungu amid colourful displays of culture and tradition, with hundreds of local and international tourists thronging the historic town for the globally recognised fishing competition. In a post on X, presidential spokesman Sunday Dare described the festival as a cultural asset that deserves global ranking. “Argungu is ready for Mr President! A festival such as the Argungu Festival, with international colour and originality, must…

Zainab Abioye Yoruba Nation agitator, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho, has declared his readiness to collaborate with the Federal Government to flush out bandits and other criminal elements from forests in the South-West. Igboho, who has been vocal in his opposition to banditry and violent crimes in parts of the region, said he and his supporters were prepared to confront terrorists operating in rural communities if granted official approval and backing by the Federal Government. Speaking during an interview, the activist stressed that any operation to rid the forests of criminal gangs must have the endorsement and support…

The South-West Regional Association of Retired Heads of Service and Permanent Secretaries has raised the alarm over what it described as increasing terrorist incursions into the region through the North-Western corridor linking Kwara and Kogi states. The association said the development poses a grave threat to farming activities, food supply chains and rural livelihoods across the South-West. This was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of its 10th Quarterly General Meeting held on February 5, 2026, in Osogbo, Osun State. The meeting, attended by eminent personalities, was declared open by the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who was…

The First Lady, Remi Tinubu, has dismissed growing international claims of a Christian genocide in Nigeria as “propaganda” designed to undermine the administration of her husband, Bola Tinubu. Speaking during separate engagements in the United States, Mrs Tinubu said the narrative of systematic killing of Christians was exaggerated and politically motivated, insisting that it resurfaced after the Federal Government stabilised the nation’s troubled economy. In an interview with The Free Press on Thursday, the First Lady said her trip to the U.S. was partly to “clarify recent hype on social media that there is Christian genocide in Nigeria.” She said,…