Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A 54-year-old man in the United States, Michael Smith, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison for using artificial intelligence-generated music and automated streaming accounts to fraudulently obtain more than $8m in royalties. Smith, a resident of North Carolina, was sentenced on October 6 by a US federal judge after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to the US Department of Justice. He was also ordered to serve two years of supervised release and forfeit $8,091,843.64 obtained through the fraudulent operation. The department said Smith carried out the scheme between 2017 and 2024 by creating thousands…

Toyyibat Qasim Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai (retd.), has denied handling any part of the controversial $1bn arms procurement fund, insisting that the money was controlled by the Ministry of Defence and did not pass through the accounts of the Nigerian Army or other military services. Buratai made the clarification on Monday in Abuja while speaking at a conference organised by the Defence Correspondents Association of Nigeria, describing allegations that the fund was diverted for political purposes as “political and malicious”. The retired general said the National Economic Council approved the $1bn for defence procurement, but the…

Ayomide Awe The Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, has disclosed that the Supreme Court handled 2,456 matters and delivered 411 judgments during the 2025/2026 legal year. Kekere-Ekun made this known on Monday in Abuja during the opening of the 2026 legal year of the Supreme Court, where she highlighted the court’s performance and ongoing efforts to reduce delays in the administration of justice. According to her, the court handled 2,456 matters during the period under review, compared with 2,280 matters in the preceding legal year. She said the matters comprised 1,179 general civil motions, 573 criminal motions, 13…

Daud Olatunji The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons has received 105 Nigerians rescued during a coordinated operation against cybercrime syndicates in Ghana. The operation, coordinated by the Office of the National Security Adviser following a notification from Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority, led to the rescue of 119 Nigerians, 105 of whom have been repatriated to Nigeria, while arrangements are ongoing for the return of the remaining 14. The development was disclosed in a statement issued on Monday by the Head of NAPTIP’s Press and Public Relations Unit, Vincent Adekoye. The agency said the operation involved several…

…Agboke hails outgoing official’s professionalism, administrative expertise Daud Olatunji The Independent National Electoral Commission in Ondo State has celebrated its outgoing Administrative Secretary, Mrs Adenike Tadese, for her professionalism and contributions to the commission following her redeployment to Lagos State. Tadese was honoured at a farewell gathering on Monday, led by the Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Mutiu Agboke, who described her as one of the finest administrative secretaries he had worked with. The development comes as Mrs Temitayo Victoria Adelusi assumes duty as the new Administrative Secretary in Ondo State, ensuring continuity in the commission’s administrative operations. Speaking…

….Unions Declare 72-Hour Warning Strike, Demand Prosecution Of Suspect, Stronger Hospital Security Toyyibat Qasim & Firdaus Obiremi  Medical Laboratory Scientists and other health workers at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Abeokuta, Ogun State, have embarked on a 72-hour warning strike following the alleged stabbing of a medical laboratory scientist by a patient’s relative within the hospital premises. The industrial action, which commenced at 11 a.m. on Monday, is expected to end at 8 a.m. on Thursday, October 15, according to a position letter and strike notice issued by the hospital’s Joint Action Committee. The committee, in the letter dated October…

Daud Olatunji A former senior journalist with the British Broadcasting Corporation, Gbolahan Peter Macjob, has been appointed spokesperson to former Ogun Central senator, Iyabo Obasanjo, as she repositions herself in the state’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 general elections. Macjob’s appointment brings a media professional with experience in broadcast journalism and filmmaking into the communications team of Obasanjo, the daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo. The appointment is expected to strengthen the former lawmaker’s engagement with the media and the public as political activities gather momentum in Ogun State. Beyond political communication, Macjob is also expected to bring his…

Ayomide Awe The Kano State Police Command has denied allegations that it blocked members of the ‘Tinubu Must Go’ movement from accessing a venue for their planned gathering, insisting that its intervention was driven by security concerns. The Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Bakori, said the command recognised the constitutional right of citizens to peaceful assembly but maintained that notifying the police would enable officers to make adequate security arrangements for the event, which was expected to attract about 700 participants. The denial followed a protest on Sunday by members of the movement, who accused the police of preventing them from…

…IDS-Master targets delays in reporting mpox, Lassa fever, measles, diphtheria Daud Olatunji Researchers at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, have developed an artificial intelligence-powered disease surveillance system designed to improve early detection of infectious disease outbreaks and strengthen public health responses across Africa. The system, known as IDS-Master, is designed to address delays associated with conventional disease surveillance platforms by enabling real-time reporting, automated data analysis, predictive alerts and coordinated responses to emerging health threats. Developed by AIA4OneHealth, a multidisciplinary research hub based at the university, IDS-Master is described by its developers as Africa’s first fully AI-driven…

Daud Olatunji The Onimeko Agbinrekoti of Imeko Igbinrekoti Kingdom, Ogun State, Oba Benjamin Oyeditan-Olanite, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to urgently rehabilitate the approximately 70-kilometre Abeokuta Roundabout–Imeko/Meko section of Federal Highway F.102, warning that its deplorable condition is undermining economic activities and worsening the hardship faced by residents. The monarch, in an open letter to the President, made available to PLATFORM TIMES on Sunday, said the road, which passes through Olorunda towards Imeko/Meko at the Nigeria–Benin Republic border, had become a major obstacle to transportation, agricultural development, commerce and access to essential services in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area and…