Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has taken custody of 12 trafficked victims rescued by the Kano State Hisbah Board during a joint operation at Karota Luxurious Park, Hotoro, Kano. The victims, all females aged between 15 and 50, were intercepted on Sunday, August 31, while being transported to Ghana en route to Saudi Arabia for alleged labour exploitation. NAPTIP Kano Zonal Commander, Abdullahi Babale, who confirmed the development on Monday, said the victims were lured with promises of better job opportunities abroad but were being trafficked under deceitful arrangements. He revealed that the rescued…

The Federal Government on Monday described the conviction of Finland-based pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, as a watershed moment in Nigeria’s fight against terrorism. Ekpa, who has been at the forefront of the violent sit-at-home campaign in the South-East, was sentenced to six years imprisonment by the Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland for terrorism-related offences. The court found him guilty of promoting terrorism and supporting a terrorist organisation by exploiting his large social media following to incite unrest in Nigeria’s South-East between August 2021 and November 2024. In a statement on X, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris,…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has faulted former Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, over his recent forecast that President Bola Tinubu would only manage a third-place finish in the 2027 presidential election. El-Rufai, in a weekend interview, claimed that the 2027 contest could head into a second round since no candidate might secure an outright majority. He argued that Tinubu’s re-election chances were slim, insisting the President could, at best, come third. Reacting on Monday, Wike described the ex-governor’s prediction as “faulty mathematics,” saying it was illogical to predict a third-place finish without identifying the supposed first…

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) has threatened to embark on a nationwide strike if the Federal Government and state authorities fail to address its unresolved welfare demands within the next 10 days. The doctors, who form the backbone of Nigeria’s emergency and specialist healthcare system, reached the decision after an extraordinary virtual national executive council (E-NEC) meeting held on Sunday. In a communiqué signed by NARD President, Dr. Tope Osundara; General Secretary, Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku; and Publicity Secretary, Dr. Omoha Amobi, the association condemned the government’s “consistent failure” to honour agreements reached with doctors despite several ultimatums issued…

The Päijät-Häme District Court in Finland on Monday sentenced pro-Biafra agitator, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison after finding him guilty of multiple terrorism-related offences. Ekpa, a lawyer and self-styled leader of a separatist movement pushing for the secession of Biafra from Nigeria, was convicted of inciting terrorism and actively participating in the activities of a terrorist group. According to Finnish daily Yle, the court ruled that between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa used his vast social media platforms to instigate violence and unrest in Nigeria’s South-East region. The three-man panel of judges held that Ekpa was “an…

The Ogun State Government has commended Dangote Cement Plc for donating operational vehicles to the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), describing the gesture as a boost to road safety and traffic management efforts. Speaking during the presentation of the vehicles, the Ogun State Commissioner for Transportation said the donation underscored the company’s recognition of the agency’s role in maintaining order on the roads. He noted that the vehicles would improve the agency’s mobility, response time, and visibility across major traffic corridors. “We are immensely grateful to Dangote Cement, which we are proud to host in our state, for recognizing…

.. Overcrowding, Poor Health Care Fuel Dangers … Victims Rely On Herbs As Hospitals Remain Far At least 12 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) have reportedly suffered snake bites at overcrowded camps in Agagbe community, Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State. The latest victim, a 14-year-old boy identified as Chagu Terhemen, was bitten on Friday while accompanying his father to the farm in Gaambe Ushin Council Ward. A fellow displaced person, Terna Ibaah, told  journalists on Sunday that the teenager, who hails from Tse Abian in Sengev Ward, only received traditional treatment after the incident. His condition worsened on…

Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have arrested two suspected kidnappers and rescued a victim in Eket, Akwa Ibom State. The Force Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday, noting that the operation followed a distress call on August 16 about an attempted kidnap along Factory Road, Afia Nsit. According to him, the swift police response led to the rescue of the victim, identified simply as Emerson, and the arrest of two suspects — Okon Edem and Emmanuel Bassey. Adejobi explained that a search of an uncompleted building in a nearby bush uncovered a cache…

The Katsina State Government has withdrawn the operating licences of all private and community schools in the state, effective from August 13, 2025. The directive was contained in a circular issued by the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education and signed by the Commissioner, Hajiya Zainab Musa-Musawa. The ministry’s Public Relations Officer, Malam Sani Danjuma, made the development public in Katsina on Saturday. According to the circular, the decision is part of the government’s efforts to enforce quality assurance and standardisation across the education sector. “The withdrawal of licences is aimed at ensuring that schools operate in line with approved…

The Human and Environmental Development Agenda (HEDA Resource Centre) has urged Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, to immediately initiate the statutory process of dethroning Oba Joseph Oloyede, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, who was recently sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in the United States for COVID-19 relief fund fraud. On August 26, Judge Christopher A. Boyko of the Northern District of Ohio handed down the jail term after Oba Oloyede pleaded guilty to orchestrating a multi-million-dollar fraud using six companies to illegally obtain loans under U.S. emergency relief schemes, including the Paycheck Protection Programme (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan…