Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A senior finance operative of the Islamic State West Africa Province has surrendered to troops of Operation Hadin Kai in Borno State, as the military intensified its offensive against insurgents in the North-East. The military said the suspect, identified as the chief finance operative of the ISWAP enclave in Jubillaram, turned himself in at about 6:45 a.m. on July 25 along the Ladari–Jegarawa–Tunokalia axis on the Gamboru–Wulgo Main Supply Route. The Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Headquarters Theatre Command, Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Mohammed Goni, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday. According to the statement, the suspected…

Former Inspector-General of Police, Sir Mike Okiro, has blamed the Federal Government’s decision to dismantle the Police Anti-Terrorist Squad shortly after his retirement in 2009 for the emergence and spread of the Boko Haram insurgency, saying the move denied Nigeria the opportunity to stop terrorism before it escalated into a national crisis. Okiro made the revelation in an interview with Sunday Sun, which was extracted by PLATFORM TIMES. The former police chief, who served as Inspector-General of Police between June 2007 and July 2009, said the anti-terrorism unit was established to detect and neutralise emerging terrorist threats but was abandoned…

By Alarape Rafiu In every newsroom, reporters are taught to pursue facts, verify information, and tell compelling stories. Yet one crucial element often determines whether those stories will ever be read: the headline. The difference between a good story and a great story is not always the quality of the reporting. More often than not, it is the headline. A well-written headline is the story’s first impression. It is the invitation that persuades readers to stop, pay attention, and read further. A headline is more than a label; it is a promise. It must capture the essence of the story,…

The Federal Government has dismissed reports suggesting it plans to increase electricity tariffs, insisting that no hike has been approved for electricity consumers across all service bands outside Band A. The Special Adviser to the President on Power Infrastructure in the Office of the Vice President, Sadiq Wanka, said media reports claiming the government was preparing to raise tariffs misrepresented comments he made at a public event in Lagos. In a statement issued on Saturday, Wanka said the Federal Government remained committed to protecting vulnerable electricity consumers through continued subsidy support. “There is no planned tariff hike for any grid…

British-Nigerian heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua made a dramatic return to the ring on Saturday night, recovering from two first-round knockdowns to knock out Kristian Prenga in the second round of their heavyweight contest at the Jeddah Superdome in Saudi Arabia. The victory was Joshua’s first since the December road accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway that claimed the lives of two of his close friends, who also served as his trainers. Joshua, 36, endured a nightmare start after Prenga caught him with a powerful uppercut less than 20 seconds into the bout, sending the former two-time unified heavyweight world champion to…

Several players of Nigeria’s senior women’s national football team, the Super Falcons, have alleged that a total of $1,220 was stolen from their hotel rooms while they were camped in Casablanca, Morocco, ahead of the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations final. The players reportedly discovered the missing cash after returning to their rooms at the Marriott Hotel, where the team is lodged for the tournament. Among those affected, forward Esther Okoronkwo allegedly lost $700, the highest amount reported, while team captain Rasheedat Ajibade was said to have lost $200. Veteran defender Osinachi Ohale reportedly claimed $100 was stolen from her…

The management of the Confluence University of Science and Technology, Osara, Kogi State, has expelled two students over their alleged involvement in a same-sex relationship and rusticated four others for one academic session over a campus fight. The disciplinary measures were approved at the university’s 31st Regular Senate Meeting following recommendations by the Students’ Disciplinary Committee. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Friday by the institution’s Information and Protocol Unit. According to the statement, the affected students have been formally notified through letters signed by the Deputy Registrar (Academics), Eli Gbadafu. The university said the sanctions were imposed…

Troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA have rescued the wife, mother and two children of the abducted Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State, Nura Umar Abdullahi, following a fierce gun battle with armed terrorists. The military, however, said the attackers escaped with the council chairman despite a coordinated pursuit by security operatives. The development was disclosed in a statement on Friday by the Media Information Officer of the Joint Task Force (North West), Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lt. Col. Aliyu Danja. According to the military, the terrorists stormed the chairman’s residence in Bungudu in the early hours of Friday,…

Controversial Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has questioned why the Federal Government has not explored direct dialogue with Boko Haram insurgents and armed bandits, arguing that previous administrations adopted similar engagements to address militancy in the Niger Delta. Gumi, in a Facebook post on Saturday, said former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Vice President Yemi Osinbajo held meetings with Niger Delta militants before introducing programmes that significantly reduced attacks in the oil-producing region. According to him, the same approach has not been considered by the President Bola Tinubu administration in addressing persistent insecurity in the North. “The former President Jonathan…

Former Chief Security Officer to the late Head of State, Gen. Sani Abacha, Maj. Hamza Al-Mustapha (retd.), on Saturday dismissed claims by a former Department of State Services operative, Dennis Amachree, over the circumstances surrounding the death of the late military ruler, insisting that the account was fabricated. Al-Mustapha also claimed to be in possession of CCTV footage of the events surrounding Abacha’s death, saying the material contradicts the version contained in Amachree’s recently published memoir, The Shadow Warrior. The retired army officer spoke with journalists on the sidelines of the 3rd General Hassan Usman Katsina Memorial Conference held at…