Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji Former President Olusegun Obasanjo has  told President Bola Tinunu to include students in private universities as beneficiaries in the federal government’s Student Loan Scheme. The former president also  raised  concerns over rising banditry and kidnappings fueled by unemployment in Nigeria. Obasanjo spoke during the inauguration of the Asiwaju Onafowokan, Coleman Wires and Cables building at Bells University’s College of Postgraduate Studies in Ota, Ogun State. He emphasised  the importance of extending the Student Loan Scheme to all students, regardless of their university affiliation.  He expressed doubts about the scheme’s efficacy if certain groups are excluded and highlighted its…

Prof. Olarenwaju Fagbohun, Lagos Coordinator, JAMB Equal Opportunity Group, says the board will refund fees paid by deserving visually-impaired candidates for the purchase of the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination UTME forms. Olanrewaju, a former Vice-Chancellor of Lagos State University (LASU), gave the assurance at the Distance Learning Institute (DLI), University of Lagos, centre for 2024 UTME  for visually-impaired candidates from Lagos and Ogun states. According to him, a total of 88 candidates in this category registered for the 2024 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) for the centre but only 82 were present. He explained that only visually impaired candidates with…

Nigeria’s Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has revealed that an estimated N5 billion has been paid as ransom to kidnappers since 2016, highlighting the alarming growth of criminal activities in the country. Kalu unveiled the shocking reality on Monday, at the national dialogue on state policing in Abuja.  He stressed  the urgency for a multi-layered policing approach to address the escalating security challenges.  He pointed out that Nigeria ranked fourth in Sub-Saharan Africa and eighth globally for countries most impacted by terrorism according to the 2024 Global Terrorism Index, underscoring the severity of the situation. He…

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has issued a directive to State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards, mandating the finalisation of pilgrim grouping into cohorts of 45 individuals each, alongside data uploads to the e-Track Portal by Friday.  PLATFORM TIMES reports that this  directive, aimed at streamlining the visa issuance process and aligning with Saudi authorities’ requirements for group travel and  ensuring a smooth and organised Hajj pilgrimage experience for Nigerian Muslims. According to a statement signed by NAHCON’s Deputy Director of Information & Publications Division, Mousa Ubandawaki, the commission’s decision comes in the wake of the official registration of 51,477…

The Police Command in Niger, has confirmed the death of five children by suffocation in a car on Sunday in Minna. DSP Wasiu Abiodun, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Niger, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Minna. He said that the Kpakungu Division Office of the Police Command received a report at about 6.30 p.m. on Sunday that five children between the ages of five and 13 years were found trapped in a Honda Civic vehicle with registration No. GO 778 ABC at Gurara Albishir area of Minna. Abiodun said that…

A clash of perspectives emerged between the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, and former President Goodluck Jonathan during a national dialogue on state police organized by the House of Representatives.  The contentious issue of establishing state police in Nigeria took center stage as both figures presented divergent views on the matter. During the dialogue themed “Pathways to Peace: Reimagining Policing in Nigeria,” IGP Egbetokun, represented by Ben Okolo, an assistant inspector-general of police, vehemently opposed the notion of decentralising the police force, citing Nigeria’s lack of readiness for such a move.  He underscored the myriad challenges confronting law…

The Minister of State for Education, Mamman, has raised concerns about the increasing presence of underage students in higher institutions, attributing some of the challenges encountered in universities to this phenomenon.  Speaking while monitoring the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Abuja, Mamman emphasised the need for students to attain a certain level of maturity before embarking on university education. “The other thing which we notice is the age of those who have applied to go to the university. Some of them are too young,” Mamman stated.  “If they are too young, they won’t be able to manage properly. That…

The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) has sounded the alarm over a  staggering surge in Lassa fever cases, with 832 confirmed cases and 152 deaths recorded in just four months.  According to the latest Lassa fever situation report released by the NCDC, the outbreak has spread across 27 states, affecting 126 Local Government Areas from January to April 14, 2024. Lassa fever, caused by the Lassa virus, a member of the arenavirus family, poses a significant public health threat in West Africa.  The virus is primarily transmitted to humans through contact with food or household items contaminated…

Daud Olatunji Two individuals have tragically lost their lives in the ongoing feud between rival cult groups, the Eiye and Aye confraternities, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State  capital . PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the  violence erupted on Sunday, as members of the opposing factions unleashed a wave of terror, resulting in bloodshed across different areas of Abeokuta.  Reports indicate that the latest casualties were targeted in retaliation for the death of one  Olumide Ifeoluwa, a suspected  member of the Aye confraternity, who was gunned down by suspected Eiye cultists just three weeks prior. The first victim, believed to be affiliated…

United Nations-Positive Livelihood Award Centre (UN-POLAC), has appointed the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Nigeria’s foremost real estate firm, Pelican Valley Nigeria Limited, Ambassador (Dr) Babatunde Adeyemo, as International Peace Advocate. Adeyemo disclosed this to newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Monday, April 22, saying the ceremony leading to the formal presentation of the certificate of appointment by the UN – POLAC will be performed on Friday, April 26, at the Airport Hotel Lagos. The real estate entrepreneur said the appointment formed part of the events the UN – POLAC will use to join other…