Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, has warned that extremist groups and bandit networks operating in parts of northern Nigeria are increasingly targeting vulnerable young people, exploiting poverty, lack of education, and social disconnection to expand their recruitment base. Ribadu said the demographic realities of the country, particularly in the North, have made unemployed and out-of-school youths easy targets for violent groups that offer them a false sense of identity, belonging, and purpose. He stressed that insecurity in Nigeria has gone beyond conventional armed confrontation, noting that extremist ideologies now thrive on socio-economic deprivation and community fragmentation. The NSA…

The National Assembly is set to accelerate the long-debated constitutional amendment on the creation of state police, with lawmakers expected to consider and approve the proposal before the end of the week, Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has said. Bamidele disclosed this on Monday in Abuja during a press briefing, noting that the Constitution Review Committee had concluded arrangements to present its final report for legislative consideration. According to him, the proposal, once passed by the National Assembly, will be transmitted to the 36 State Houses of Assembly for ratification, in line with constitutional requirements, before being forwarded to President Bola…

The Oyo State Government has demolished a three-bedroom bungalow in Ibadan where kidnappers allegedly held captive Olaide John-Paul, the sister of former Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, alongside her twin sons. The structure, located in the Lako Community along Aiyegun-Anaye Road in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, was pulled down on Monday as part of what authorities described as a decisive action against criminal hideouts in the state. John-Paul and her sons were abducted on June 3 while she was reportedly taking the children to school. Armed men ambushed them and whisked them away to the building, which was later…

Three passengers have been confirmed dead following the derailment of a train on the Warri–Itakpe Train Service on Monday, throwing travellers into panic and prompting an emergency response from authorities. The incident involved the Warri–Itakpe Train Service, operated by the Nigerian Railway Corporation, which said rescue teams had been deployed to the scene immediately after the accident. In a statement confirming the development, NRC Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Kayode Opeifa, said emergency responders and relevant agencies were already attending to affected passengers and working to stabilise the situation. “The Nigerian Railway Corporation confirms that an incident involving the…

…Suspects stage fake abduction to extort families abroad The Ogun State Police Command has uncovered a transnational criminal syndicate specialising in staged kidnappings and ransom fraud, arresting eight foreign nationals linked to the operation. The suspects, drawn from West and North African countries, were apprehended during an intelligence-led raid in Adiyan area of Agbado, following a tip-off over a suspected fake abduction. Those arrested include five Ivorians — Suren Neta, Koffi Breno, Gondo Treso, Kougasi John, and Hemue Blinsi — alongside Zakaria Zawadogo from Burkina Faso, Cheik El-Mehdi from Mauritania, and Kunuji Ezekiel from the Republic of Benin. The…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday called on Nigerians to take a more active role in the fight against insecurity by volunteering credible intelligence to security agencies, declaring that terrorists, bandits and kidnappers would not be allowed to define the nation’s future. In a personally signed statement issued on June 8, 2026, the President charged citizens to see security as a collective responsibility, stressing that timely information from the public remains critical to ongoing operations against violent groups across the country. “The fight against terror is not only a military operation. It is a national duty,” Tinubu said. “When you…

No fewer than 50 elders from a community in Zamfara State have been abducted by suspected bandits while on a reconciliation mission to a notorious kingpin, in a development that underscores the persistent insecurity in the North-West. The victims, drawn from Magamin Diddi village in the Magami/Faru ward of Maradun Local Government Area, were reportedly seized by a bandit leader identified as Jammo, who operates within the Muntsira Forest axis of the council. The Chairman of Maradun LGA, Bello Dosara, confirmed the incident on Monday, disclosing that the elders embarked on the peace move without the approval of the state…

Residents of Okenla community in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State on Monday staged a peaceful protest in Abeokuta, calling on the state government and the Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, to intervene in an alleged land grabbing dispute threatening their homes and livelihoods. The aggrieved residents, who converged on the Alake’s palace with placards bearing inscriptions such as “Protect land owners,” “Let peace reign in Okenla,” and “Save our homes,” accused a private individual, Mutairu Owoeye, of unlawfully laying claim to landed properties in the community. They alleged that the claim, said to…

…Judge Rules Spending Arbitrary, Wasteful, Unlawful …Says Public Funds Must Serve National, Not Personal Interest Daud Olatunji A Federal High Court sitting in Lagos has nullified the National Assembly’s N110 billion expenditure on Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs) and lawmakers’ support allowances, describing the spending as arbitrary, wasteful and unlawful in a judgment that has triggered fresh debate on public accountability. Delivering judgment in suit FHC/L/CS/1606/2023 filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), Justice Yellim Bogoro held that the controversial expenditure failed to meet constitutional and statutory requirements governing public procurement and the management of public funds. The…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has declared that his administration will not bow to the threats of bandits and terrorists, assuring Nigerians of renewed efforts to tackle insecurity and economic hardship across the country. The President’s position was conveyed on Sunday by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, during a national inter-denominational church service held at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, as part of activities marking the 2026 Democracy Day celebration. Akume, speaking on behalf of the President, said the Federal Government remained fully aware of the prevailing economic difficulties, insecurity, kidnappings and displacement affecting various…