Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Tension boiled over in Lafiagi, Edu Local Government Area of Kwara State, on Monday, as irate youths set fire to the palace of the Emir of Lafiagi and the local office of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) in protest against persistent kidnappings in the area. The violent demonstration erupted after the abduction of a prominent agrochemical businessman, popularly known as Alhaji Chemical, by suspected bandits in the early hours of Sunday. The incident added to a series of recent abductions that have left residents living in fear. Eyewitnesses said the kidnappers stormed the businessman’s residence in the Taiwo…

The Obafemi Awolowo University Muslim Graduates’ Association (UNIFEMGA) has congratulated the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, on his historic election as Chairperson of the World Customs Organization (WCO). Adeniyi, an alumnus of Obafemi Awolowo University, made history on Saturday, June 28, 2025, by emerging as the first Nigerian to lead the WCO since the organization’s establishment. The election took place at the conclusion of the 145th/146th Council Sessions held at the WCO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. The World Customs Organization is the apex international body responsible for setting global customs standards, comprising 185 member countries. In…

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested the National Coordinator of the Federal Workers Forum (FWF), Comrade Andrew Emelieze, in Ibadan, Oyo State, ahead of a planned nationwide protest scheduled for Monday, July 1. Emelieze, a vocal advocate for the rights of federal workers, was reportedly picked up on Sunday evening by operatives of the DSS in connection with the upcoming protest, which is aimed at pressing for the full implementation of the national minimum wage and other pending allowances. A source within the labour movement, who spoke under anonymity, described the arrest as “tyrannical and unjustified,” insisting that…

An Ikeja Special Offences Court, on Monday, sentenced a 45-year-old pastor, Ndukwe Ogbu, to 25 years in prison for defiling his 14-year-old daughter (name withheld). In her judgement, Justice Olubunmi Abike-Fadipe held that the prosecution had proven beyond reasonable doubt the three-count charge of defilement, sexual assault, and sexual assault by penetration against the convict. The judge also noted that Mr Ogbu showed no remorse for the crime when he pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy, citing that he had other children to care for. She consequently found him guilty of the three-count charge brought against him…

Amid ongoing political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections, spokesperson of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Ladipo Johnson, has confirmed that some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are lobbying for Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to emerge as President Bola Tinubu’s running mate. Johnson, who spoke on The Morning Brief programme aired on Channels Television on Monday, described the move as “not out of place”, adding that Kwankwaso remains open to strategic alliances that align with his political philosophy. “It’s not insulting to offer him the vice-presidential slot; whether he accepts or not is a different matter,”…

President Bola Tinubu was on Monday honoured with a symbolic reception at the bicameral parliament of Saint Lucia, where leaders of the Caribbean island affirmed historic and cultural ties with Nigeria, citing deep ancestral connections dating back to the transatlantic slave trade. In her address to the joint sitting, the President of the Saint Lucian Senate, Alvina Reynolds, stated that historical records show that a large number of African slaves brought to Saint Lucia originated from Nigeria. Citing an 1815 British census, Reynolds revealed that of the 3,488 enslaved people born in Africa and documented in the census, 34 percent…

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has formally affirmed Senator Samuel Anyanwu as the party’s National Secretary, following weeks of intense internal wrangling, conflicting announcements, and a dramatic security clampdown on the party’s national headquarters. The affirmation was announced on Monday by the PDP Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, after the party’s 100th NEC meeting held at its Wadata Plaza headquarters in Abuja. “The NEC unanimously agreed that Senator Anyanwu continues as the National Secretary of the party. This decision comes after thorough consultations with relevant stakeholders and INEC,” Damagum told journalists shortly after the…

A 15-year-old student, Haruna Suliat Adeola, has emerged as the One-Day Member of the House of Representatives for Ibarapa Central and Ibarapa North Federal Constituency following a keenly contested intellectual competition aimed at nurturing future leaders within the constituency. Suliat, a Senior Secondary School 3 student of Okedere High School, Idere, in Ibarapa Central Local Government Area of Oyo State, triumphed in a rigorous academic contest organized by the federal lawmaker representing the constituency, Hon. (Dr.) Anthony Adebayo Adepoju. The grand finale of the second edition of the initiative was held at the Igboora High School auditorium on Sunday, June…

Feyisayo Ogunbiyi Nigeria’s economic crisis has done more than just empty wallets—it has slowly and silently emptied hope from the hearts of millions. The average Nigerian wakes each day not just to rising food prices and unpaid bills, but to an invisible war within. Depression, often undiagnosed and dismissed as weakness or spiritual attack, has tightened its grip across demographics—students, fathers, mothers, traders—each masking pain with routine, faith, or laughter. In this piece, I take you through the intimate struggles behind everyday resilience, highlighting how silent suffering has become the nation’s unofficial anthem. This is not just another story on…

… Get 7 Days Ultimatum Amid rising insecurity and worsening public trust, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has demanded that all 36 state governors in Nigeria disclose how they have spent public funds allocated as “security votes” since May 29, 2023—or face legal action. The call was made in a Freedom of Information (FoI) letter dated June 28 and signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare. The organisation warned that failure to respond within seven days would trigger appropriate legal steps to compel accountability. According to SERAP, the growing insecurity across Nigeria, including the recent Benue massacre, has…