Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Kano State Hisbah Board has commenced medical screening for 3,000 prospective couples ahead of a state-backed mass wedding programme aimed at supporting vulnerable residents. The exercise, scheduled to begin on Monday, is a prerequisite for participation in the mass wedding initiative designed to unite 1,500 men and 1,500 women across the state. Deputy Commander General of the board, Mujahideen Aminuddeen, disclosed on Sunday that intending couples from 24 local government areas have been directed to report to designated Hisbah offices for the screening. The affected councils include Rogo, Wudil, Tudun Wada, Warawa, Kibiya, Dawakin Tofa, Garun Malam, Kura, Dambatta,…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (National Drug Law Enforcement Agency) has arrested four notorious female drug traffickers in coordinated operations across Edo, Imo, Kano and Gombe states, recovering large consignments of cannabis, tramadol and other psychotropic substances. The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday in Abuja, noting that the operations were carried out between June 1 and June 4 as part of intensified nationwide raids on drug trafficking networks. In Edo State, operatives stormed identified drug hotspots in Benin City on June 2, arresting four key suspects, including three females.…

Waste management operators in Ogun State have warned of an impending breakdown in refuse evacuation services, citing mounting debts, delayed payments, and harsh operating conditions that threaten the survival of the sector. The Association of Waste Managers of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter, raised the alarm on Sunday, urging Governor Dapo Abiodun to urgently intervene to avert what it described as a looming environmental and public health crisis. In a statement signed by its state chairman, Pastor Jolaoluwa Emmanuel Gbenga, the association accused the Ogun State Waste Management Authority of implementing policies that have pushed many operators to the brink of…

The South-West chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria has raised the alarm over the worsening wave of kidnappings and violent crimes across the region, urging the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security nationwide. In a press statement issued on Sunday and signed by its Chairman, Barnabas Tunde Akin-Akinsanya, the association expressed “profound concern and deep anguish” over the growing spate of abductions, banditry and attacks in states including Oyo, Ekiti, Ondo and Lagos. The body warned that what was once perceived as isolated security breaches had evolved into a recurring national crisis threatening Nigeria’s peace,…

The Committee for the Defence of Human Rights has hailed the judgment of the Federal High Court in Lagos which declared unlawful the N110bn expenditure by the National Assembly on vehicles and support allowances for lawmakers. Justice Yellim Bogoro, who delivered the ruling, held that the controversial spending failed to meet constitutional and statutory requirements governing the use of public funds. Reacting to the verdict, the group described the decision as a “landmark victory” for accountability, transparency and the rule of law. In a statement jointly signed by its National President, Comrade Yinka Folarin, and National Secretary, Comrade Idris Afeez…

…Says 1.3 million new cases recorded in 2024 as global response falls off track …Calls For Urgent Political  Commitment Ahead Of June 2026 HIV summit The United Nations (UN) has warned that declining external financing for health programmes is reversing hard-won gains in the global fight against HIV, with Africa and other regions increasingly exposed to rising new infections and treatment gaps. In a report issued ahead of the UN General Assembly High-Level Meeting on HIV/AIDS scheduled for June 22–23, 2026, the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, said the global HIV response is at “a critical juncture,” stressing that progress achieved…

…  Parents, Teachers Raise Alarm Over Safety Of Examination Centres …. NUT Warns Trauma May Derail Students’ Academic Performance Nigeria’s ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), conducted by the West African Examinations Council, has come under renewed strain as escalating school abductions across parts of the country heighten fears for the safety, concentration and performance of over 1.9 million candidates. The examinations, which began on April 21 and are scheduled to end on June 19, are being written in more than 24,000 centres nationwide amid growing anxiety triggered by unresolved mass kidnappings of pupils and teachers…

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have rescued Mrs. Olaide Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, the sister of former Minister of Power and All Progressives Congress governorship aspirant in Oyo State, Adebayo Adelabu, alongside her 12-year-old twin sons after a fierce gun battle with suspected kidnappers in Ibadan, Oyo State. The operation, which was carried out on Saturday evening, led to the killing of two suspected kidnappers, while two firearms were recovered from the gang. Security sources confirmed that the victims were rescued alive at about 7:30pm, three days after they were abducted on June 3 while they were on their way…

Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested a suspected terrorist kingpin, Kachalla Halilu, during a targeted, intelligence-driven operation at a busy market in Zamfara State, as security forces intensify efforts to dismantle criminal networks in the North-West. The suspect was apprehended at the Shinkafi Weekly Market by operatives of the 8 Division Garrison following credible intelligence that tracked his movement to the location. Military sources said the troops swiftly mobilised and executed the operation without resistance, successfully taking Halilu into custody. Items recovered from the suspect at the point of arrest include a motorcycle, a mobile phone, a cap, and…

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has denied reports alleging that he promised automatic senatorial tickets to lawmakers who lost out in the recent primaries of the All Progressives Congress (APC), insisting that his remarks were misinterpreted. Akpabio, who spoke through a statement issued on Saturday by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Eseme Eyiboh, said he neither made nor authorised any such promise, describing the reports as misleading. The Senate President had, during plenary on Tuesday, while welcoming lawmakers back from a three-week recess and the Eid-el-Kabir break, expressed concern over the outcome of the party primaries which saw several…