Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Delta State Police Command has recorded major breakthroughs in its war against kidnapping, armed robbery, arms trafficking, and cultism, killing one suspected kidnapper, arresting 77 others and rescuing five abducted victims within one month Commissioner of Police, Olufemi Abaniwonda, disclosed this on Wednesday in Asaba during a press briefing on the Command’s security operations between October and early November 2025. He said the Command also recovered 13 firearms, 591 rounds of ammunition, three vehicles and ₦4.1 million ransom from criminal elements during the period under review. According to the CP, police operatives in Obiaruku, assisted by vigilantes, stormed a…

The Federal Government on Wednesday accused foreign lobbyists, particularly in the United States, of orchestrating what it described as a “deliberate and misleading campaign” to portray Nigeria as a country engaged in the persecution of Christians. Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, made the allegation during a media briefing in Abuja, warning that the narrative was designed to tarnish Nigeria’s image globally and misrepresent the nation’s security situation. Idris claimed intelligence reports linked foreign lobbyists to individuals and groups amplifying claims of religious genocide in Nigeria. “We have seen a correlation between some lobbyists operating especially in the…

Suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, on Wednesday insisted before the Federal High Court in Abuja that he fully declared his assets as required by law, maintaining that the undeclared properties listed by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency belonged to his late father. Kyari, who is standing trial alongside two others over alleged failure to properly declare multi-million-naira assets, stated this while testifying in his own defence before Justice James Omotosho. Led in evidence by his counsel, Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), the embattled former Commander of the Intelligence Response Team faulted the NDLEA’s claims, insisting the agency failed to…

Aishah Waliyullah The management of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, has abolished its two-day weekly off-duty work policy for non-academic staff, insisting that the measure has outlived its usefulness and is now undermining the institution’s productivity and academic stability. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, announced the decision during a press briefing on campus, saying the resolution was part of decisions reached at the university’s 219th Governing Council meeting. Agboola explained that the policy — introduced after the removal of fuel subsidy to ease transportation burden — had become counter-productive as it slowed service delivery, delayed administrative processes, and affected…

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has launched a manhunt for a man who allegedly brutalised his wife, leaving her in critical condition and requiring emergency surgery in Abuja. The woman, whose identity was withheld for security reasons, was rushed to a hospital in the Gudu area after sustaining life-threatening injuries from the violent attack, according to a statement on Wednesday by the head of NAPTIP’s Rapid Response Unit, Emeh Magnus. Mr Magnus disclosed that NAPTIP officials monitored the victim’s surgery and are working with medical personnel to gather evidence. He said operatives proceeded to…

The Ondo State Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun, on Wednesday paraded 38 suspects, including 16 illegal immigrants allegedly brought into the state from Togo and Benin Republic for “sinister motives.” Commander of the Corps, Adetunji Adeleye, who addressed journalists at the agency’s headquarters in Akure, said the operatives also arrested 22 other suspects over alleged involvement in offences ranging from kidnapping and murder to vandalism, rape and stealing. Adeleye disclosed that the 16 immigrants could not explain how they entered the country or their mission in Ondo State. “We have unusual visitors among us,” he said. “We have Mustafa, Steve,…

Former Kano State Governor and former Minister of Education, Mallam Ibrahim Shekarau, has said he considers himself to be living in the “extra time” of life at 70, declaring readiness for the “final whistle” whenever it comes. Shekarau, who marked his 70th birthday on Wednesday, spoke during a media interactive session in Kano, where he reflected on his journey, life lessons, and faith. “My life is in extra time, and I’m ready for the final whistle,” he said. “At 70, anything beyond this is a gift from Allah, and I remain grateful for every moment.” The former minister, who once…

Aishah Waliyullah  The Sokoto State Police Command has arrested a 25-year-old man, Sufiyanu Aliyu, for allegedly stabbing his 15-year-old wife, Suwaiba Abubakar, to death during a domestic dispute in Tangaza Local Government Area of the state. The tragic incident occurred on October 27 at the couple’s residence in Gwanyal village and was reported to the police by a concerned resident. In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Ahmad Rufai, said operatives were immediately mobilised to the scene after receiving the distress report. “The area was visited, processed and cordoned off for forensic analysis,” Rufai stated,…

Daud Olatunji The Senate on Wednesday approved a bill prescribing a minimum of five years and up to 14 years imprisonment for lecturers and other academic staff found guilty of sexually harassing students in tertiary institutions across the country. The legislation, titled Sexual Harassment of Students (Prevention and Prohibition) Bill, 2025, seeks to curb the rising cases of sex-for-grades and other forms of sexual exploitation on Nigerian campuses. Presenting the bill for concurrence, the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Oyelola Ashiru, described it as a landmark move aimed at sanitising the country’s learning environment. Ashiru stated, “This bill is designed to…

The Olori of Araromi-Aperin in Ona-Ara Local Government Area of Oyo State, Olori Rebecca Obisesan, has narrated how firm traditional leadership and community mobilisation helped end open defecation in the community, even as UNICEF warned that most Nigerian states lack proper urban sanitation strategy. Speaking during a-two day media dialogue on accelerating actions to improve urban Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Nigeria, Olori Obisesan said the community achieved open defecation-free status in 2021 after the state Ministry of Health sensitised residents and the palace enforced compliance. “Before the campaign, we were doing ‘short-put’ in the bush,” she recounted. “Many houses…