Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Security operatives have arrested three suspected masterminds behind the recent abduction of the Anambra State Commander of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Daniel Onyishi. The suspects — identified as Emeka Ede, Okwudili Aja, and Onyebuchi Aja — were apprehended on June 26 during a joint operation by the Nigerian Military and the Department of State Services (DSS) in Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Markus Kangye, disclosed this during a press briefing at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday. He said the raid, which targeted known hideouts…

Justice E.G. Umokoro of the Bayelsa State High Court has regained freedom after spending 12 harrowing days in the custody of armed kidnappers. Justice Umokoro, who presides over High Court 7 in Yenagoa, was abducted at gunpoint on June 21 while attempting to leave a popular eatery where he had gone to buy bread. Eyewitnesses said the assailants, clad in black uniforms, confronted him at his vehicle and attempted to coerce him into their Hilux truck. When he resisted, they fired at him but missed before forcefully dragging him into their vehicle and speeding off. The kidnappers had reportedly demanded…

Feyisayo Ogunbiyi  Otunba Segun Showunmi, the National Coordinator of The Alternative political movement, has declared that Nigeria’s democracy is broken and urgently needs a civic and generational overhaul, urging youths across the country to rise, organize, and rescue the system from collapse. Speaking on Thursday in Abeokuta during the South-West launch of The Alternative—a coalition of like-minded political actors pushing for a radical transformation of Nigeria’s political culture—Showunmi condemned voter apathy, tribal animosity, and recycled political failures as major threats to democratic stability. “Nigeria’s democracy is in crisis,” he declared. “We must not sugarcoat it. The youth must rise. Our…

Wema Bank has awarded a total grant of N3 million to three emerging entrepreneurs in Lagos as part of its initiative to support Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) in Nigeria. The grants were presented to the winners of a business pitch competition held during the Lagos Leather Fair, one of West Africa’s largest showcases of the leather industry. The beneficiaries – EwaOluwa Morenikeji of House of Ewa LTD, Joy Fache James of Paciencia, and Fatima Yusuf of House of Zibima – each received N1 million to scale their businesses. The initiative, according to the bank, marked its continued commitment…

Nigeria’s football community has been thrown into mourning following the death of former Super Eagles goalkeeper, Peter Rufai, who passed away in Lagos on Thursday at the age of 61 after reportedly battling illness for several weeks. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), in a statement confirming his death, described the late goalkeeper—fondly called “Dodo Mayana”—as a “charismatic and disciplined” sportsman whose post-retirement years were devoted to mentoring young talents across the country. According to the NFF, Rufai died around 6am and his remains have since been deposited at a morgue in Lagos. “Peter Rufai was more than a goalkeeper; he…

Amid swirling rumours about the health of former President Muhammadu Buhari, his former Special Assistant on Digital Communications, Bashir Ahmad, has broken his silence—affirming that the ex-Nigerian leader is alive, stable, and responding to treatment. Ahmad, in a post shared via his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, dismissed growing social media claims suggesting that Buhari, 82, had been rushed abroad and was on life support in a United Kingdom intensive care unit. “It is true that former President Buhari is unwell and is currently receiving medical attention. However, contrary to the exaggerated claims circulating in the media, he…

The United States Consulate in Nigeria has partnered with the Ogun State Government and GFA Technologies to unveil the ‘Window on America’ project — an ICT-focused initiative aimed at equipping Nigerian youths with entrepreneurial, technological, and leadership skills. The centre, located at the Ogun Tech Hub on Kobape Road, Abeokuta, was commissioned by the Acting Consular General of the United States, JoEllen Gorg, who described the initiative as “a symbol of what is possible through strong and innovative leadership.” Gorg said the project is part of a growing network of 29 American Spaces across Nigeria and marks the second of…

The Nigerian Medical Association (NMA) has fiercely condemned the Federal Government’s decision to deploy Nigerian doctors to Saint Lucia, describing the move as a glaring act of hypocrisy amid worsening welfare conditions for medical professionals at home. In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday and signed by the NMA Secretary General, Dr. Ben Egbo, the association said it was “deeply concerned and dismayed” by the decision, especially as it comes at a time when doctors in Nigeria are grappling with “systemic neglect, poor salaries, withheld allowances,” and other long-standing grievances. The Federal Government had hinted that  it would  deploy…

A deepening rift within the Labour Party took a dramatic turn on Thursday as the faction led by Julius Abure handed a 48-hour ultimatum to the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, demanding his exit over his involvement in a new opposition coalition. The ultimatum was contained in a strongly worded statement signed by the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, who accused Obi of working behind the scenes to dismantle the Labour Party’s structure by aligning with “recycled and desperate politicians” under the guise of forming a united front against the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that Nigeria was on the verge of economic collapse when he assumed office but said his administration has successfully steered the country away from bankruptcy through a series of bold reforms. Speaking during an interactive session with Nigerians in Castries, Saint Lucia, the President revealed that his government inherited a nation in dire financial straits but has since implemented sweeping changes that have stabilised the economy and renewed investor confidence. “We inherited a country that was near bankruptcy. But we have been able to rescue the economy. Nigeria has recovered,” Tinubu said, according to…