Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji  The Founder of Oladipupo Foundation for Sickle Cell, Dotun Oladipupo, has raised the alarm over the prohibitive cost of bone marrow transplants in Nigeria, describing it as a major barrier to survival for many sickle cell patients. Speaking during a press briefing in Abeokuta, Ogun State, to mark the 2025 World Sickle Cell Day, Oladipupo lamented that the procedure, which is regarded as a potential cure for sickle cell disorder, costs as much as ₦40 million, rendering it inaccessible to the average Nigerian family. The foundation, during a sensitisation rally held across major parts of the Ogun State…

… Blames Illegal Checkpoints, Taxes, Poor Infrastructure Daud Olatunji The Nigeria Governors’ Forum has expressed deep concern over the persistent surge in food prices across the country, attributing the trend to a proliferation of illegal checkpoints, unauthorised taxes, and crumbling transport infrastructure. This was disclosed in a communiqué issued at the end of the Forum’s third meeting held in Abuja on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. The document was signed by the NGF Chairman and Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and read by Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu. According to Sanwo-Olu, the governors deliberated extensively on key national issues, particularly those…

The Aliko Dangote Foundation (ADF) has commenced the distribution of 40,000 bags of rice across Ogun State, with special attention given to People Living with Disabilities, widows, artisans, market women, and other vulnerable groups. The food distribution, part of ADF’s National Food Intervention Programme, was flagged off at the Oba’s Complex in Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, on Wednesday. Speaking at the launch, Governor Dapo Abiodun, represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, hailed the Foundation’s gesture as a timely intervention in the face of Nigeria’s harsh economic realities. According to the governor, the initiative aligns with his administration’s…

…recovers stolen crude oil worth N83bn, arrests over 14,000 suspects nationwide The Defence Headquarters on Thursday said no fewer than 6,260 terrorists were neutralised, and 5,365 kidnapped civilians rescued in various operations across the country in the last two years. Brigadier General Ibrahim Abu-Mawashi, Deputy Director of Defence Media Operations, made this known during an expanded parley with media executives in Abuja. The event was organised as part of activities marking the two-year anniversary of General Christopher Musa’s appointment as Chief of Defence Staff (CDS). Abu-Mawashi said a total of 14,138 terrorists, insurgents, and violent criminals were apprehended during…

At least 15 pilgrims from Kwara State have fallen victim to a foreign exchange scam while on pilgrimage in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, losing their $500 Basic Travel Allowance (BTA) to suspected fraudsters. The victims, reportedly mostly of Fulani descent, were allegedly deceived by currency racketeers who exchanged their $100 bills for $1 notes under the guise of helping them convert the money into Saudi riyals. The Amiru Hajj of the state and traditional ruler of Ajase-Ipo, Oba Ismail Yahaya Alebiosu, confirmed the development while addressing journalists on the incident. He disclosed that the fraudulent exchange occurred after the official disbursement…

The Court of Appeal sitting in Lagos has nullified the takeover of a multibillion-naira property belonging to Agboola Abiola, son of the late Chief MKO Abiola, by Guaranty Trust Bank (GTBank), describing the foreclosure as unlawful and hinged on a forged legal mortgage document. In a unanimous judgment delivered on Wednesday, the three-man appellate panel ruled that the 2014 decision of the Federal High Court, which had paved the way for GTBank to seize the 44-room Ikoyi mansion valued at N30 billion, was fundamentally flawed and could not stand. The appeal, marked CA/L/888/2014, was filed by RCN Networks Ltd and…

The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has raised alarm over the increasing sabotage of its infrastructure, revealing that a total of 178 electricity transmission towers have been destroyed in 42 separate incidents between 2024 and mid-2025. Speaking during a media workshop on Thursday in Keffi, Nasarawa State, TCN’s General Manager for Transmission Services, Ali Sharifa, described the trend as “the worst infrastructural assault in recent history,” warning that it poses a grave threat to the national power grid. Sharifa noted that in 2024 alone, 86 towers were vandalised—26 of them completely brought down—leading to widespread blackouts in several parts of…

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has revealed that over 300,000 repentant Boko Haram insurgents and their families have surrendered to the state government within the last four years. Speaking during a televised interview on News Central, the governor described the mass surrender as a major milestone in the state’s counterinsurgency efforts, attributing the development to a blend of military operations and non-kinetic strategies, including dialogue and reintegration programmes. “Since the last three to four years, we have received nothing fewer than 300,000 repentant Boko Haram members and their families,” Zulum said. “That is a very huge success.” The…

Hundreds of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Yelwata community in Benue State on Thursday barricaded a major road in Makurdi to protest worsening hunger, neglect, and alleged diversion of relief materials meant for their survival. The demonstrators, comprising mostly women and children, blocked the busy route near Makurdi International Market, bringing vehicular movement to a standstill for hours. They carried placards with distressing messages such as “We are dying of hunger”, “No food, no water, no medicine”, and “Our children sleep on bare floors.” Eyewitnesses said the protest began around 8am and quickly drew attention from motorists, traders, and passersby,…

Super Eagles forward and Napoli star, Victor Osimhen, has shared a moving story about his difficult childhood, revealing that he once washed gutters for as little as N30 to survive. Osimhen made the disclosure in a recent interview with media personality Daddy Freeze, recounting the extreme hardships he faced before rising to global football stardom. “There was a building in front of my house—one of those face-me-I-face-you structures,” he said. “I used to fetch water for people living there for N80, and most of the time, I would wash their gutters when the green things (algae) were coming out. I…