Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has sounded a nationwide alert over Indomie Vegetable Flavour Noodles, warning that the product contains undeclared allergens—milk and eggs—that could trigger severe reactions in consumers with allergies. The alert, issued as Public Alert No. 041/2025 on December 18, 2025, follows a notification from Rappel Conso of France, the French food safety authority, after laboratory tests confirmed the presence of the allergens. NAFDAC stressed that all batches of Indomie Vegetable Flavour Noodles with a best-before date of February 6, 2026, are affected. In a statement, the agency said: “Although the…

Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has once again urged the Nigerian government to pursue dialogue with armed groups, insisting that negotiation is more effective than military action in tackling insecurity. Sheikh Gumi, known for his controversial but influential views, recalled that negotiations with militants in the Niger Delta yielded positive results, and warned against repeating what he called the country’s “failed war strategy” against Boko Haram and bandits. Posting on his Facebook page, Gumi stated: “They say negotiations don’t work. It’s a lie. It worked with militants in Niger Delta creeks. Rather, it’s war that doesn’t work. Sixteen years we’re…

A 32-year-old Nigerian, Olusegun Adejorin, has been convicted by a U.S. federal court for defrauding two charitable organisations of over $7.5 million, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Saturday. Adejorin, extradited from Ghana, was found guilty after a six-day trial in Maryland federal court on charges of wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and unauthorized access to a protected computer. The DOJ said Adejorin targeted charities in Maryland and New York between June and August 2020. Using spoofed email domains, he impersonated staff to manipulate financial transactions, redirecting funds to accounts unrelated to the charities. “After a six-day trial,…

A Nigerian national residing illegally in the United States,Laurel Echezonam, has pleaded guilty in a federal court for making false statements while attempting to purchase a firearm. According to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Echezonam, 25, entered the country unlawfully through the southern border in 2022. Immigration authorities later confirmed that she had no legal status in the United States. Court records show that on June 7 and 8, 2024, Echezonam travelled from her Vicksburg, Mississippi, residence to multiple firearms dealers, attempting to buy a weapon. During the process, she allegedly provided false information about her immigration status to…

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has raised the alarm over alleged post-passage alterations to Nigeria’s newly enacted tax reform laws, warning that the country has drifted dangerously from the era of padded budgets to what he described as “forged laws.” Obi, in a strongly worded statement on Saturday titled “Migrating from Padded Budgets to Forged Laws,” said discrepancies had been discovered between the tax bills passed by the National Assembly and the versions later published in the official gazette following President Bola Tinubu’s assent in June 2025. According to him, the alleged changes go beyond clerical errors and…

Christian leaders, traditional rulers and top government officials on Sunday charged Nigerians, particularly Christians, to demonstrate love, humility and service to humanity, as Victory Life Bible Church (VLBC) hosted its 2025 Christmas Carol tagged “Christmas on the Rock.” The colourful carol service, themed “The Manger and Its Majesty,” brought together worship, culture, drama and music, drawing dignitaries and families who filled the auditorium with praise, dance and reflection on the essence of Christmas. The event opened with “Caroliganza,” a rich cultural ensemble that blended fashion, gastronomy and entertainment. Children, dressed in vibrant outfits, enjoyed a 360-degree photo session, bouncing castles,…

The United States government has temporarily halted the processing of green card and citizenship applications filed by Nigerians and nationals of several other countries newly affected by President Donald Trump’s expanded travel ban, a report by CBS News has revealed. The latest move, which deepens Washington’s sweeping clampdown on legal immigration, affects thousands of would-be immigrants from Africa and Asia, many of whom are already living legally in the United States and seeking to adjust their status or become American citizens. According to the report, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has extended an earlier directive freezing all immigration…

Troops of the Nigerian Army’s 3 Division, operating under Operation Enduring Peace, have arrested a suspected gunrunner and recovered a cache of arms and ammunition during coordinated security operations in Bokkos and Mangu Local Government Areas of Plateau State. The operations, carried out on Thursday, December 18, 2025, were part of sustained efforts by the military to flush out illicit weapons and criminal elements ahead of the Christmas and New Year celebrations within the Joint Operations Area. In the first operation, troops, working in collaboration with operatives of the Department of State Services, raided a suspected criminal hideout at Gwender…

The Federal Ministry of Steel Development has suspended 58 workers of the National Metallurgical Development Centre, NMDC, Jos, Plateau State, following weeks of protests that have crippled operations at the agency. The suspension, conveyed in an internal memo titled “Notice of Suspension”, was signed by the Director of Human Resource Management, Mrs Ijeoma Idika, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, and addressed to the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the Centre. According to the memo, the affected staff were identified as having direct involvement in actions that allegedly contravened provisions of the Public Service Rules, specifically PSR 100301 (n)…

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Eno, has recounted how the death of his father, a police officer who died in active service, plunged his family into hardship and compelled him to hawk soft drinks on the streets of Lagos as a teenager. The governor made the emotional disclosure on Thursday while delivering the Convocation Lecture at the 7th Convocation Ceremony of Mountain Top University, Ibafo, Ogun State. Eno said the tragedy marked a turning point in his life, forcing him to support his mother financially despite being a senior student and a prefect at Victory High School at the…