Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Reforms Gather Pace Amid Backlog Of 253,000 Applications …AGIS Screening Exposes Forged Area Council Allocations …Church, Cooperative Society Among Affected Beneficiaries Daud Olatunji The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has revoked 485 land titles in Abuja after they failed to pass a stringent verification exercise, in what officials described as a major step to cleanse the territory’s troubled land administration system. The cancellations followed a detailed screening conducted by the Department of Land Administration in conjunction with the Abuja Geographic Information Systems, which uncovered forged and irregular Area Council land documents presented for regularisation. In a public…

The Anambra State Government has ordered the immediate closure of the New Auto Spare Parts Association Market, Nkwo Nnewi, over what it described as poor compliance with the directive suspending the Monday sit-at-home in the state. The decision, announced on Monday, will see the market shut from midnight, February 23, 2026, until March 2, 2026. Commissioner for Information, Dr Law Mefor, said in a statement that the action followed what the government termed inadequate adherence to Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo’s order ending the controversial Monday sit-at-home across the state. According to the statement, normal commercial and social activities had resumed…

The Catholic Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, Matthew Hassan Kukah, has dismissed speculations linking him with a possible vice-presidential slot ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that he has no intention of seeking political office. Kukah, who spoke during an appearance on The PAP Show, said his vocation as a Catholic priest remains superior to any political ambition, stressing that he would not abandon his spiritual calling for public office. There had been insinuations in some quarters that the outspoken cleric could emerge as a running mate to Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the next presidential election.…

The General Officer Commanding 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Bemgha Koughna, has escaped a deadly ambush by suspected terrorists in Kebbi State, with troops killing five of the attackers during a fierce gun battle. The incident, which occurred near Mayama Hill, targeted the convoy of the senior military officer as he travelled to assess frontline troops under Operation FANSAN YAMMA in the North-West. In a statement on Monday, the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division and Sector 2, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba, said the assailants, identified as members of the Lakurawa terrorist group, opened heavy…

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has dragged the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission, the Inspector-General of Police and the Attorney-General of the Federation before the Federal High Court, Abuja, demanding ₦1bn in damages over what he described as an unlawful invasion of his residence in the Federal Capital Territory. In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/345/2026 and filed on February 20 through his counsel, Mr Oluwole Iyamu (SAN), the former governor is challenging the legality of a search warrant allegedly issued on February 4 by a Chief Magistrate in the FCT. El-Rufai is seeking a declaration that the…

The Ogun State Government has approved Reading as a compulsory subject in all public primary and secondary schools across the state, marking a major shift in its literacy policy. The development followed sustained advocacy by the SixthSense Initiative, a literacy-focused non-governmental organisation founded by Chief Abiodun Lasile. Announcing the breakthrough in a statement made available to PLATFORM TIMES on Sunday in Abeokuta, Lasile described the decision as “a watershed moment” in the campaign to revive reading culture among children and young adults. According to him, the journey began over a decade ago with deliberate efforts to strengthen literacy content and…

Troops of the Joint Task Force (North-East), under Operation HADIN KAI, have killed 25 fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province during coordinated offensives in parts of Borno State. The military said the operations, which took place in Limankara and Kukawa areas, also led to the recovery of 13 AK-47 rifles and the destruction of several logistics assets used by the insurgents. In a statement on Sunday, the Media Information Officer of the Theatre Command, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, disclosed that troops of Sector 2, operating under Operation Desert Sanity V, carried out a precision raid in the early…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control has uncovered banned, counterfeit and unregistered cosmetic products worth over N3 billion in a warehouse located at the APT Trade Fair Complex in Lagos State. The agency disclosed on Sunday that the facility, concealed within an unfinished building, was allegedly being used as a distribution hub to evade regulatory detection. 1,400 Cartons of Banned Soaps Recovered Among the items seized were 728 cartons of Crusader soap, 718 cartons of E45 soap and large quantities of Extract Gold whitening soaps  brands previously prohibited by the Federal Government over safety concerns. Officials…

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised an alarm over a suspected revalidated batch of SMA Gold First Infant Milk (900g) discovered in Kaduna State, warning that the product poses serious health risks to infants. In a public advisory released on Sunday, the agency said the product, allegedly manufactured by Nestlé, reportedly caused gastrointestinal distress in a four-month-old infant after consumption. A physical inspection of the sample revealed clear signs of date tampering. NAFDAC noted that the manufacturing and expiry dates printed on a top sticker were inconsistent with the dates originally printed underneath,…

A Lagos-based civil society group has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the State Security Service (SSS), and the All Progressives Congress (APC) to court over Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun, accusing him of presenting conflicting academic credentials and lying under oath. The Human Global Resource Initiative is seeking a restraining order from the Lagos Division of the Federal High Court to prevent Mr. Abiodun from being nominated or fielded for any elective office until he clarifies alleged discrepancies in his educational records from primary school to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC). Other political parties, including the African…