Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The small mining community of Dalita Maje in Dobi Ward, Gwagwalada, situated on the outskirts of Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, is grappling with severe environmental and public health challenges.  The activities of local mining companies have led to significant water pollution, further exacerbating the hardships faced by residents who already contend with crumbling health and educational infrastructure. For years, the residents of Dalita Maje and surrounding communities in Dobi Ward have depended on a local river to meet their daily water needs.  However, this crucial water source has been contaminated by mining operations, rendering it unsafe for drinking, cooking, and bathing. …

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) High Court sitting in Zuba, Abuja, has prohibited Dr. Christopher Otabor, the Managing Director of Alliance Hospital, from leaving Nigeria amid ongoing legal proceedings.  Dr. Otabor is accused of involvement in an organ harvesting scheme, along with three of his staff members. In March, the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) arraigned the 51-year-old Otabor, along with Emmanuel Muyiwa Olorunlaye, Chikaodili Ugochukwu, and Dr. Aremu Abayomi.  They face an 11-count charge that includes the procurement and accommodation of persons, and performing surgical operations to harvest kidneys from three victims: 17-year-old Adebayo…

Six Nigerian soldiers  lost their lives on Wednesday, in an auto crash while responding to a distress call regarding a Boko Haram attack.  PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the  soldiers were part of Operation Hadin Kai, the major military operation against Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State. The fatal accident occurred in Bama, a town that has seen significant Boko Haram activity over the years.  The soldiers were travelling in a gun truck, commonly referred to as a “buffalo.”  According to military sources, the vehicle was being driven by Corporal Tairu. The soldiers had been urgently dispatched to reinforce a unit…

The  Senate has  convened a secret session on Thursday to discuss a bill aimed at changing the nation’s anthem.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that the  proposal seeks to replace the current anthem with “Nigeria, We Hail Thee,” the country’s first national anthem adopted on October 1, 1960, but later replaced in 1978 under the military regime of Olusegun Obasanjo. Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced that the bill would be expedited through its 1st and 2nd readings in the same day, urging the legislators to return to plenary to facilitate this process.  Akpabio also mentioned that any Nigerian interested in contributing to…

The Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, on Thursday, issued a 48-hour notice to all the deposed emirs to vacate their royal palaces.  The governor officially approved the reappointment of former Central Bank Governor, Sanusi Lamido Sanusi II, as the Emir of Kano . PLATFORM TIMES reports that this move comes as part of a broader effort to undo the controversial changes made to the Kano Emirate Council structure in recent years. The announcement was made by Kwankwason Tuwita, the Senior Special Assistant on Digital Media to the governor, through a post on X.  Tuwita also shared a video showing…

The significance of meticulous record-keeping in nursing was a central theme at the strategic leadership retreat for political and nursing leaders, held as part of the 2024 Nurses Week organized by the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Ogun State branch.  Under the leadership of Comrade Nurse Adejoke Bello, the event underscored the critical role of accurate documentation in healthcare. During the retreat, a speaker, Mr. Afolabi Adun emphasized that diligent record-keeping can prevent numerous avoidable issues.  “Many people find themselves in problems simply because they assume everyone is as honest as they are,” Adun stated.  He warned…

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), says there has been an upward trend in the life expectancy of both males and females from 2020 to 2022. This is according to the NBS Statistical Report on Women and Men in Nigeria 2022 released in Abuja on Wednesday. The NBS said the statistical report analysed the status of women and men across Nigeria from 2020 to 2022 using statistics from agencies at the Federal and state levels. The report covered six key economic policy domains: Population, Health, Education, Employment, Power and Decision-Making in Governance, and Violence Against Women and Crime. The report…

Vice Chancellor of the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB),Professor Olusola Kehinde, has raised the alarm that abandoned farm settlements scattered across Nigeria have become hideouts and safe havens for kidnappers and bandits. Th VC  raised the the concern during the maiden agricultural summit of Al-Hikmah University, Ilorin. The summit, themed “Meeting the Challenges of Food Insecurity in Nigeria: Agricultural Technology to the Rescue,” focused on addressing Nigeria’s food insecurity issues through technological advancements in agriculture.  Professor Kehinde, represented by Professor Adebayo Oni, emphasised the urgent need for the government at both federal and state levels to revitalize these abandoned…

In a continued standoff over Nigeria’s minimum wage, the Organised Labour, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has firmly rejected the Federal Government’s latest offer of a ₦57,000 monthly minimum wage. This development marks the third proposal in about a week as negotiations resumed on Wednesday. The dispute over the new minimum wage has seen multiple proposals from the government and the private sector, which have all been turned down by the labour unions. Initially, the government proposed a ₦48,000 minimum wage, which was promptly rejected. In subsequent talks, the proposal was increased to…

An Oyo State High Court in Ibadan has granted female Muslim students at the University of Ibadan International School, Ibadan (ISI), the right to wear hijab on top of their school uniforms.  The judgment, delivered by Justice Moshood Ishola on Wednesday afternoon, marks the culmination of a legal battle that began in November 2018. The controversy started when the secondary school, which is owned and operated by the University of Ibadan, denied some female Muslim students the right to wear hijabs with their uniforms.  This decision prompted the affected students and their parents to take legal action against the school,…