Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A 27-year-old bride, identified as Merit Alice, has been arrested by the Delta State Police Command for allegedly faking her own kidnap to escape pressure after squandering N3.6 million meant for her brother’s tricycle purchase. Alice, who confessed to the crime, admitted that she diverted the money to fund her lavish bridal shower and lodge her friends in hotels during her wedding held in March 2025. According to the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Bright Edafe, the suspect staged her abduction after her brother began to demand a refund of the funds he entrusted to her. “In her confession,…

The Federal Government has disclosed that Nigeria suffers an annual economic loss of between ₦13.3 trillion and ₦17.9 trillion due to hepatitis-related health and productivity costs, while an estimated 4,252 Nigerians die each year from liver cancer linked to untreated hepatitis infections. The Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Pate, made this known on Monday during a media briefing to mark the 2025 World Hepatitis Day, themed “Hepatitis: Let’s Break It Down.” Represented by the Director of Public Health, Dr.Dr Godwin Ntadom, the minister described Nigeria’s hepatitis crisis as “a silent epidemic,” revealing that the country ranks…

Twenty-two teenagers from the historic city of Ile-Ife, Osun State, were on Sunday honoured for achieving a rare religious feat—memorising the entire Glorious Qur’an. The young scholars, all under the age of 18, graduated from the Rowdotu-t-Tanzeel Tahfeez Arabic School at a grand ceremony marking the fourth edition of the school’s annual Qur’an memorisation and Islamic education graduation. The event drew a large gathering of Islamic scholars, academics, dignitaries, and proud parents from within and outside Nigeria, with some participants also joining virtually. With flawless recitations, the young graduates moved the audience to tears, showcasing not just their mastery of…

Africa’s richest man and President of Dangote Group, Aliko Dangote, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s economic reforms, saying they are rekindling investor confidence and stimulating growth in Nigeria’s private sector. Dangote made this known over the weekend when the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, visited the $20 billion Dangote Petroleum Refinery and Fertiliser Plant in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. Describing President Tinubu as a “listening leader,” Dangote lauded key policy moves such as the “Naira-for-Crude” initiative and the “Nigeria First” strategy, which he said have significantly improved crude oil supply to domestic refineries and introduced greater stability…

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has refuted claims that he allocated 501 hectares of land in Abuja to a Ghanaian businessman, Sam Jonah, for the development of River Park Estate. Obasanjo’s denial was contained in a letter dated July 10, 2025, addressed to the Inspector General of Police in response to an earlier inquiry dated July 4, 2025. Sam Jonah, a Knight of the British Empire and founder of Jonah Capital, had alleged in a petition to the police that the ex-president granted him ownership of the vast land where the sprawling River Park Estate in Lugbe, Abuja, now stands. But…

A former Inspector-General of Police, Sunday Ehindero, has urged President Bola Tinubu to urgently reform Nigeria’s security architecture by reducing military involvement in domestic security and repositioning the Police as the lead agency for internal security. Ehindero made the call on Sunday in Akure, Ondo State, during the 20th anniversary and 16th Passing-Out Parade of the Police Secondary School. The former police boss stressed the need for the government to deploy the Police Mobile Force to take over tasks currently handled by the military within Nigerian communities, while the military focuses strictly on securing the nation’s borders from terrorist infiltration.…

The Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, has charged the newly appointed management of the Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation (NDIC) to ensure the agency remains a strong pillar in the nation’s quest for economic stability and prosperity. Edun gave the charge in Abuja while inaugurating Mr. Thompson Oludare Sunday as the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer and Dr. Kabir Sabo Katata as Executive Director (Operations) of the NDIC. Describing the NDIC as a vital component of Nigeria’s financial safety net, Edun said the agency must redouble efforts to ensure depositor protection and institutional resilience in…

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised alarm over Nigeria’s ballooning debt burden, demanding a full-scale audit of all loans secured by the Federal Government in the past decade, amid projections that the nation’s public debt could surpass ₦200 trillion before the end of 2025. In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, the party accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of plunging the country deeper into what it described as a “fiscal disaster,” following the National Assembly’s approval of an additional $21 billion foreign loan request. The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the continued borrowing trend as “fiscal…

No fewer than 130 security operatives, including over 100 members of the Katsina Community Watch Corps and more than 30 police officers, have been killed in the ongoing battle against banditry in Katsina State. The disclosure was made by the State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Dr. Nasir Muazu, during a press briefing on the state’s security situation. Muazu said the figure reflects the enormous sacrifices made by security operatives and local guards in reclaiming parts of the state once under the grip of violent bandits. “These are not just numbers; they are names and faces of brave…

In a horrifying escalation of banditry in Zamfara State, no fewer than 38 hostages abducted from Banga Village in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area have been killed by their captors despite the payment of over N50 million in ransom. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the victims, comprising mostly men and a woman, were executed in batches after months in captivity. A resident of the village, Aminu Musa Banga, who confirmed the incident, said 16 of the victims who were released by the bandits narrated the ordeal and confirmed the mass killings. “These bandits killed 38 of our men and one woman…