Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has terminated the appointment of one of its staff members for allegedly extorting unsuspecting candidates, warning other officials against exploiting applicants or compromising the integrity of its operations. The Board disclosed this in its release bulletin on Monday, stressing that its crackdown on fraud and misconduct would not be limited to individuals operating outside the organisation. JAMB said the dismissal demonstrated its renewed determination to rid the admission and examination system of corrupt practices while ensuring that its workforce also remained accountable. The Board stated, “The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board has terminated the…

Daud Olatunji Parents raising children with disabilities in Nigeria need respite-care facilities, subsidised therapy and stronger support systems to ease the financial and emotional burden of caregiving, disability inclusion strategist. Tamara Ajasa, founder of The Wholesome Parent, made the call during a PWDSpotlight X Space titled “Raising Children with Disabilities: The Role of Parents, Communities and Society in Building an Inclusive Future.” She identified respite care, incentives for businesses promoting disability inclusion, and free or highly subsidised therapy and special-needs education as three immediate interventions she would want government to prioritise. According to her, many families caring for children and…

Daud Olatunji A suspected associate of notorious bandit kingpin, Kachalla Maha, has allegedly given security operatives details of the operations of the group, including how he was used to procure food items, run errands and deliver ₦1m to a man in Matazu, Katsina State. The suspect, identified as Nura Bakasati, was arrested in Sayaya, Matazu Local Government Area of the state, over his alleged links to the criminal network. During questioning in Hausa, Bakasati allegedly disclosed details of his relationship with a man identified as Muhammadu, whom he said gave him cattle to rear and subsequently used him for various…

Toyyibat Qasim The presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, and Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, alongside his party, have dragged Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, to court over an alleged N200m mandatory fee imposed on presidential candidates seeking to display campaign materials in the state. Makinde and the APM are challenging the legality of the fee, contending that it violates provisions of the 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act 2026. The suit, marked HC/214/2026, was filed at the Abia State High Court through their counsel, Musibau Adetunbi, SAN. Other defendants joined in the suit are the Abia State…

Competition among petrol retailers is beginning to push pump prices downward, with major filling stations including AA Rano and Mobil cutting the prices of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, in Abuja and its environs. A market survey on Sunday showed that AA Rano reduced its petrol price from N1,450 to N1,420 per litre, representing a N30 reduction. Mobil also lowered its pump price from N1,435 to N1,410 per litre, a N25 reduction. The adjustments come amid pressure on filling stations to respond to declining crude oil prices and changing market conditions in the downstream petroleum sector. PLATFORM TIMES…

Grace Adeleke The Aku-Uka of Wukari, Taraba State, Dr Ishaku Adda Ali, has raised the alarm over the worsening security crisis confronting communities linked to the historic Kwararafa Kingdom, saying several communities have been devastated by banditry, kidnapping, farmer-herder violence and displacement. The monarch spoke at the 2026 Kwararafa People’s Assembly held in Abuja, where he called for urgent and sustained intervention to address the insecurity ravaging communities across parts of Benue, Kogi, Taraba, Southern Kaduna, Nasarawa, Plateau and Niger states. According to him, the security situation had become so severe that farmers could no longer safely access their farms,…

Oluwanifemi  Ibikunke The governing body of Jehovah’s Witnesses has announced a significant clarification of its position on blood-related medical treatment, saying members may personally decide whether to accept blood components such as red cells, white cells, plasma and platelets. The organisation, in a statement published on its official website on Friday, said decisions concerning the four major components of blood would now be treated as matters of individual conscience between each member and God. The development marks a significant adjustment in the way Jehovah’s Witnesses approach medical treatment involving blood components, although the organisation stressed that its long-standing refusal of…

The Peace and Social Advancement Centre has called on Nigerians to embrace dialogue, inclusion and peaceful engagement in addressing the country’s political, economic and social challenges. The Centre made the call in a commemorative message marking the 2026 International Day of Peace, stressing that peace goes beyond the mere absence of war and violence. In the statement signed by its Executive Director, Femi Adeleye, the organisation said sustainable peace could only be achieved where justice, dialogue, dignity, trust and equal opportunities were promoted. The Centre, operating under the theme “Uniting Voices, Advancing Peace,” said peace must be deliberately built by…

…Says Bodies Found On Floor, Outside Facility …Survivors Rushed To Hospital As Questions Mount Over Aleged Assault, Overcrowding …24 NSCDC Personnel Detained As FG Orders Independent Probe Daud Olatunji The circumstances surrounding the deaths of 37 suspected illegal miners in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps in Niger State have taken a disturbing turn, following fresh revelations by Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago that some of the corpses had blood stains around their mouths and noses, burns, bruises and cuts. Bago disclosed this while appearing on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, saying he personally saw the bodies when…

Daud Olatunji The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission before the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an order compelling the electoral body to disclose political contribution limits ahead of the 2027 general elections. SERAP is specifically asking the court to compel INEC to state whether it has exercised its powers under Section 91 of the Electoral Act 2026 to prescribe limits on contributions to political parties and candidates and, if so, disclose the limits and how they were communicated to political parties, candidates, donors and the public. The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2114/2026, was filed…