Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji Newswatch Plus Limited, publishers of Newswatch magazine, is set to honour its founding editor-in-chief, Dele Giwa, with a commemorative book marking the 40th anniversary of his assassination. The book, titled Dele Giwa’s Granite Journalism, will be unveiled on Monday, October 19, at the Kessington Adebutu Auditorium of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos. The event will celebrate Giwa’s enduring contributions to Nigerian journalism, particularly his role in advancing investigative reporting and setting high professional standards in the media industry. According to a statement signed by the Editor-in-Chief of Newswatch, Soji Akinrinade, the event will be chaired…

Firdaus Obiremi The Ondo State Government has ordered the fumigation of a river around the site of a Nigerian Air Force aircraft crash in Igbokoda, Ilaje Local Government Area, following residents’ complaints about an offensive smell and fears of possible environmental contamination. The government also directed the distribution of nose masks and other essential health kits to residents as emergency recovery operations continue at the site of the October 5 crash, which claimed the lives of all 25 people on board. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Idowu Ajanaku, directed…

Daud Olatunji The tech giant says it will integrate INEC’s final candidate list into its AI system as electoral stakeholders warn against deepfakes and manipulation of election results. Microsoft has announced plans to restrict the use of its generative artificial intelligence tools to create unrealistic images of political candidates ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. The company’s Senior Director of Global Elections, Dave Liechtman, disclosed this on Wednesday during a panel session at the AI and Democracy Forum in Abuja, saying the initiative was aimed at preventing the unauthorised use of candidates’ identities and curbing the spread of deceptive election-related…

..• Nearly 15,500 hospitalised as aid cuts, food shortages threaten treatment Ayomide Awe More than 87,000 children received treatment for acute malnutrition in Katsina State between January and August 2026, raising fresh concerns over the persistent child nutrition crisis in northern Nigeria. The figure, released by the international medical humanitarian organisation, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), represents a decline from the over 95,000 children treated during the corresponding period in 2025. However, the organisation warned that the number remains alarmingly high. Nearly 15,500 children were also hospitalised for severe or complicated malnutrition within the eight-month period, compared with approximately 16,500 recorded…

Daud Olatunji President Bola Tinubu has said he will not attend every campaign rally of the All Progressives Congress ahead of the 2027 general elections, citing the need to focus on governance, meet the country’s financial obligations and attract long-term investments. The President stated this on Wednesday in Abuja while inaugurating the APC Presidential Campaign Council, directing members to take charge of the party’s mobilisation activities across the country while he attends to pressing national issues. Tinubu said the demands of electioneering must not distract him from his responsibilities as President, stressing that Nigeria needed his attention at a critical…

The presidential candidate of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Esther Okereke, has challenged Nigerians to give a woman the opportunity to lead the country in 2027, arguing that decades of male-dominated leadership have failed to deliver the desired results. Okereke said Nigerians should look beyond gender and assess candidates based on their competence, policy proposals and commitment to accountability, insisting that she had a clear plan to address the country’s numerous challenges. The NRM candidate spoke on Wednesday during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, a Channels Television programme, where she discussed her ambition ahead of the 2027 presidential election. She…

Toyyibat Qasim The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) has opposed the bail application filed by Jimi Lawal, the second defendant in the alleged financial misconduct case involving former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai. The Federal High Court in Kaduna on Wednesday adjourned the hearing of Lawal’s bail application until October 16, 2026, while fixing December 8 for the commencement of the substantive trial. Lawal’s counsel, Obong Okon, had urged the court to grant his client bail on medical grounds, arguing that his health condition warranted his release. Okon also questioned the prosecution’s opposition to the application,…

Firdaus Obiremi A Kano State High Court has acquitted a 35-year-old man, Inusa Rabo, charged with the murder of a 55-year-old man, Sa’idu Haruna, after ruling that the prosecution failed to establish the case beyond reasonable doubt. The court, presided over by Justice Fatima Adamu, delivered the judgment on Wednesday, discharging and acquitting Rabo, who resides in Kadawa Quarters, Dawakin Tofa Local Government Area of Kano State. However, the judge ordered the defendant’s relatives to sign an undertaking to ensure that he continues receiving psychiatric treatment at the Federal Neuropsychiatric Hospital, Dawanau, Kano, and takes his medication regularly. Justice Adamu…

Daud Olatunji The Independent National Electoral Commission has declared that artificial intelligence will not be allowed to determine the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, insisting that the power to elect political leaders rests exclusively with the electorate. INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the 2026 AI and Democracy Forum, organised by Yiaga Africa in partnership with INEC, Microsoft, TikTok, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, Dataphyte and other development partners. Amupitan said although artificial intelligence would increasingly influence election administration, information dissemination and political engagement, the…

The Ogun State Police Command has pledged to strengthen security around offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and ensure the safety of electoral personnel and materials ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, CP Bode Ojajuni, gave the assurance on Wednesday during a courtesy visit to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Feyijimi Saseyi, at the INEC state office in Magbon, Abeokuta. Ojajuni, who co-chairs the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), described INEC offices as the police command’s “second office”, emphasising the importance of protecting the electoral body as preparations for…