Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Chairman of Faskari Local Government Area in Katsina State, Hon. Surajo Aliyu Daudawa, on Sunday, personally ventured into a forest to negotiate directly with armed bandits and secured the release of 26 kidnapped victims. The victims, reportedly abducted from Tafoki and neighbouring communities, were freed following face-to-face talks between Daudawa and a notorious bandit leader identified as Isiya Kwashen Garwa. Despite warnings from security authorities against holding peace talks with criminal groups, Daudawa met the armed men—who are said to have a history of violent attacks across the state—under what sources described as a tense but peaceful atmosphere. Images…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has intercepted multiple consignments of illicit drugs ingeniously concealed in frozen snails, electric bulbs, and female clothing at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The agency said the narcotics, which were bound for the United States, United Kingdom, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), were uncovered during a series of coordinated operations carried out this month. NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, in a statement on Sunday, disclosed that two suspects had been arrested in connection with the seizures. According to him, a cargo agent, Boladale Riliwan, was nabbed on October 7 after…

The Ogun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has disowned and condemned the purported endorsement of Dr. Gbenga Olawepo Hashim’s 2027 presidential ambition by a group parading itself as party stakeholders. The group, operating under the name Gbenga Hashim Solidarity Movement (GHSM), had on Friday in Ota, Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area, declared Hashim as the “preferred presidential candidate” of the Ogun PDP ahead of the 2027 elections. But in a swift reaction, the state leadership of the party dismissed the endorsement as fake, unauthorised, and misleading. Chief Abayomi Tella, the Ogun State PDP Chairman, said in a statement…

A Political Parable by Hon. Olalekan A. Shoyinka (Ayinla Egba) In the ancient Kingdom of Oluwatedo, every two years, the air becomes charged with anticipation. Drums echo through the valleys, the rhythm of destiny pounding in every heart. For it is the time of the Royal Dance Festival, a centuries-old competition where Princes from every ruling family take to the stage — not just to display their grace and strength, but to win the heart of the people. For in Oluwatedo, a dancer today could become king tomorrow. Among these Princes was one known far and wide — Prince Obasan,…

As democracies struggle with paralysis, centralized states prove that speed, coordination, and discipline may deliver development more effectively than debate. By Otunba Segun Showunmi In international policy circles, it is often considered impolite to ask one of the most important questions in global development: Why is it that when China lifts 800 million people out of poverty in four decades, we call it authoritarianism, but when the British Empire industrialized through famine, forced labour, and colonial extraction, we called it progress? The question is not moral but empirical. For all the West’s discomfort, the evidence is difficult to ignore: concentrated…

It was a day of celebration and recognition of excellence on Saturday as Crescent University, Abeokuta, conferred degrees on 718 students, including 69 first-class graduates, during its 17th convocation ceremony. The event, held at the Bola Ajibola Auditorium on the university campus, also witnessed the conferment of honorary doctorate degrees on three eminent Nigerians — former Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Johnson Kokumo; the President of Crescent Schools, Prof. Ahmed Bin Salawudeen; and business mogul, Agbaoye Orikolade Kola Karim — in recognition of their contributions to national development and humanity. Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Ibraheem Gbajabiamila, disclosed that the total…

… Warn Media Against Sensational Reports Capable Of Fuelling Tension The Ogun State League of Imams and Alfas has cautioned the leadership of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) against what it described as “alarmist and divisive statements” capable of inciting religious tension and undermining national unity. The League expressed concern over recent comments allegedly made by CAN, which suggested a “calculated genocide” against Christians in Nigeria. In a statement issued on Friday and signed by its Secretary-General, Imam Tajudeen  Adewunmi, the Islamic body described the allegation as “unsubstantiated and dangerous,” warning that such narratives could inflame passions and…

Former House of Representatives member, Farouk Lawan, has formally defected to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, setting his sights on a political comeback ahead of the 2027 general elections. Lawan, who represented Bagwai/Shanono Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2015, officially joined the ruling party on Saturday at a ceremony held in Shanono Local Government Area, where he received his APC membership card. The defection ceremony, presided over by the APC Chairman of Shanono LGA, Ilyas Sheme, drew a large turnout of party faithful and community leaders who described Lawan’s return to active politics as “a major boost”…

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Adekimi Ojo, has identified the growing involvement of informants and the recruitment of local youths by criminal gangs as key factors fueling the rising cases of kidnapping in the state. Speaking at a press briefing in Ilorin on Friday, Ojo said the kidnappers have devised new strategies, luring young boys with money and promises of quick gains to help them identify potential victims. “Yes, definitely, they entice them. They have cheap money to give. That’s what they do — they promise, they give, they entice,” Ojo said. “We discovered that most of the problems…

The management of Ebonyi State University, Abakaliki, has expelled three students for unlawful possession of firearms during the institution’s recent Students’ Union Government (SUG) election. The Vice Chancellor, Prof. Michael Awoke, announced the expulsion over the weekend during the inauguration of the newly elected SUG executives at the university’s main campus. Awoke said the decision followed the students’ arrest by the police for allegedly bringing guns and live ammunition to the election venue, an act he described as “a grave affront to academic integrity and campus safety.” According to him, the suspects not only attempted to scare away voters but…