Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Renowned global ambassador and Artificial Intelligence expert, Nnenna Nwankama, has urged Nigerians, especially the younger generation, to place values and integrity above profit and power in building enduring institutions. Nwankama, a Babcock University alumna and former student of the Adventist Seminary of West Africa (ASWA), delivered this charge on Thursday while speaking at the university’s Founder’s Day lecture themed “Legacy and Leadership Excellence: Building Enduring Institutions in Times of Change.” Addressing a full house at the university’s 2,500-capacity Amphitheatre, the tech leader decried what she described as a “crisis of values” confronting global institutions. “Brilliance without character is celebrated, intelligence…

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, has called for stronger and more reliable data systems to combat the rising cases of femicide across Nigeria. Jimoh, who spoke on Thursday at the presentation of a study titled “Measuring Femicide in Lagos State: Data, Advocacy and Action” in Ikeja, described femicide—the intentional killing of women and girls because of their gender—as one of the most extreme forms of gender-based violence (GBV). The police chief lamented that Nigeria’s fight against femicide was being undermined by poor record-keeping, weak forensic investigations, and low prosecution rates. “These gaps have hindered efforts to fully…

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested an Islamic cleric, identified as Alfa Bashiru, after he was allegedly caught with suspected human flesh along the Ibadan Expressway. The Command’s spokesperson, CSP Adewale Osifeso, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, noting that the cleric was intercepted on Wednesday at about 11:30 a.m. by operatives of the Federal Highway Patrol at the Toll Gate axis. According to Osifeso, Bashiru was travelling in a white bus with registration number XA 551 IRG when the suspicious substance was discovered in his possession. “The suspect claimed during interrogation that he bought the item in…

A former Vice-Chancellor of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Prof. Wande Abimbola, has called for sweeping reforms in Nigeria’s university system, insisting that Vice-Chancellors must be selected not only for academic titles but also for their capacity to attract funds and mobilise resources. Abimbola, a scholar of Ifa and former Presidential Adviser on Culture, stated this while featuring on Boiling Point Arena, an online interview discourse hosted by media professional and public relations strategist, Dr. Ayo Arowojolu. Drawing from his teaching experience in 10 American universities, including Harvard and Boston University, Abimbola said several institutions abroad appoint Vice-Chancellors — often referred…

The Parasitology and Public Health Society of Nigeria (PPSN), Southwest Zone, has warned that unsafe water remains a major driver of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in Nigeria, insisting that drug-based interventions alone cannot achieve the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) 2030 elimination targets. In a statement issued to mark the 2025 World Water Monitoring Day, observed annually on September 18, the Southwest Secretary of PPSN, Dr. Tajudeen Uthman, stressed that millions of Nigerians remain at risk of diseases such as schistosomiasis, soil-transmitted helminths, and trachoma due to poor sanitation, inadequate hygiene, and contaminated water sources. “The fight against NTDs cannot be…

…. Teenagers Filmed Smoking, Sharing Alcohol Bottles … Parents, Stakeholders Raise Alarm Over Rising Moral Decay The Lagos State Government has launched an investigation into a viral video showing some secondary school students smoking and consuming alcohol inside what appeared to be a hostel. The disturbing footage, which surfaced on social media earlier this week, captured a group of teenagers passing what looked like a cigarette among themselves while bottles suspected to contain alcohol were spotted around them. Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Jamiu Alli-Balogun, in a statement on Wednesday, condemned the act, describing it as a gross violation…

The Vice President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Dr. Abdussobur Olayiwola Salaam, has dismissed claims that Nigerian universities are overstaffed with non-academic personnel, insisting that such views are based on ignorance and mischief. Dr. Salaam, a university administrator, said it is a global practice for non-teaching staff to outnumber their academic counterparts, citing data from universities in the United Kingdom and the United States. He explained that universities cannot function without the wide-ranging professional services of non-teaching staff who play critical roles beyond clerical duties. These include medical services, finance, administration, transportation, engineering, environmental management, security,…

A Katsina State High Court has sentenced the Director of Administration of the Sokoto Rima River Basin Development Authority (SRRBDA), Rabiu Musa Matazu, to five years in prison for diverting rent proceeds belonging to the agency. The conviction followed a three-year trial after the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arraigned Matazu on a four-count charge bordering on abuse of office and criminal breach of trust. ICPC spokesperson, Demola Bakare, in a statement on Wednesday, said the conviction was a victory in the fight against corruption in public service. The prosecution, led by ICPC counsel Ibrahim Garba,…

… Victims Regain Freedom Without Ransom Payment … Residents Warn Against Temporary Govt Promises A notorious bandits’ commander, identified as Isya Akwashi Garwa, on Wednesday released 28 abducted residents of Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State following a controversial peace arrangement with local government officials. The freed hostages, who had been in captivity for weeks, were largely from Mairua, Kanen-haki, and Yar Dabaru communities, which have repeatedly suffered attacks and mass abductions. Garwa, who reportedly appeared at the handover meeting armed with an AK-47 and ammunition, surrendered the captives to council officials in Faskari in what authorities described as…

The Baagbimo of Ijebuland and Secretary of the Awujale Council of Chiefs, Prof. Chief Fassy Yusuf, has clarified that the Ifa oracle alone cannot determine the successor to the late Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona. Yusuf, who is also the Deputy Olori Ebi of the Fusengbuwa ruling house, said the decision rests squarely with the kingmakers and the ruling house, adding that a new monarch should emerge before the end of the year if there is no court injunction. Speaking on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, on Wednesday, Yusuf said: “The last…