Author: Platform Times Newspaper

…Says Insecurity Now Political Weapon Daud Olatunji The Eselu of Iselu Kingdom in Ogun State, Oba Ebenezer Akintunde Akinyemi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to consider hiring foreign mercenaries as a drastic measure to end the protracted wave of terrorism and banditry plaguing Nigeria, particularly in Plateau, Benue, and other northern states. In a strongly-worded open letter addressed to the President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, the first-class traditional ruler described the persistent bloodshed as a national tragedy that has become a booming “industry” for some, warning that continued inaction could spell grave consequences for Nigeria’s unity and stability.…

Daud Olatunji Despite receiving a staggering N224.1 billion as federal allocation between January and February 2025, the six states in the South-West region — Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, and Ekiti, continue to grapple with mounting public frustration over dilapidated infrastructure, hunger, and deteriorating living conditions. PLATFORM TIMES reports that an analysis of disbursement data obtained from BudgIT, a civic-tech organization, shows that the six states collectively received N111.4 billion in January and N112.7 billion in February, yet the streets tell a different story — one of despair, failing public services, and an increasingly restless populace. PLATFORM TIMES further reports…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has called for mandatory drug testing for all prospective National Youth Service Corps members as part of efforts to stem the rising tide of substance abuse among Nigerian youths. Chairman of the agency, Brigadier General Buba Marwa (retd.), made the call on Sunday in Abuja during a keynote address delivered on his behalf by the Director of Drug Demand Reduction, Dr Ngozi Madubuike, at the ongoing three-day Drug Prevention, Treatment and Care (DPTC) training. The training was organised in collaboration with the Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries. Marwa stated that introducing drug tests…

Amid persistent insecurity in Nigeria, the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, has called for the immediate decentralisation of the country’s policing system and the creation of Zonal Security Councils to address rising violence and criminality. Bakare, a former presidential aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, made the call during his state of the nation address in Lagos on Sunday, warning that Nigeria’s centralised security architecture was failing to protect citizens. Citing recent mass killings in Plateau and Benue states where over 150 persons were murdered in separate attacks, Bakare insisted that…

Operatives of the Ogun State Community, Social Orientation and Safety Corps, codenamed So-Safe Corps, have rescued 10 victims, including Ghanaians, who were allegedly trafficked into Nigeria with promises of employment but were later locked up in a building in the Mowe area of Ogun State. The victims, who included three women and seven men, were reportedly lured from Ghana with job offers but were instead confined to a three-bedroom apartment in the Oke-Sioni area, opposite Comfort Zone Hotel, Mowe, in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of the state. They were denied freedom of movement and barred from communicating with…

Matthew Kukah, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Sokoto, has issued a heartfelt plea to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to act swiftly to curb the spate of killings and kidnappings ravaging Nigeria. In his powerful Easter homily for 2025, Kukah condemned the nation’s growing insecurity, declaring that Nigeria is slowly transforming into a “national morgue” under the current administration. Kukah’s remarks, delivered in his sermon titled “Mr. President: Please Bring Us Down from This Cross,” painted a grim picture of life in Nigeria, where innocent citizens face daily kidnappings and are held in horrendous conditions. “Every day, innocent…

The Majority Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, says the National Assembly is developing a legal framework to establish state police as part of efforts to tackle insecurity in the country. Bamidele, who represents Ekiti Central Senatorial District, made this known in his Easter message on Sunday, where he also cautioned political actors against using the country’s challenges for selfish political gains. He urged leaders at all levels to avoid divisive rhetoric, warning that such actions could worsen the nation’s problems. “As we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is important we reflect on His virtues and…

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted a consignment of cocaine ingeniously concealed in 20 sets of religious books destined for Saudi Arabia. The agency said the 20 parcels of cocaine, weighing 500 grams in total, were discovered on Tuesday, April 15, 2025, at a courier company in Lagos by officers of the Directorate of Operations and General Investigation (DOGI) during a routine search of outbound cargo. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy, Femi Babafemi. The same day, NDLEA operatives at another courier facility in Lagos also intercepted…

A 25-year-old soldier, Private Yahaya Yunusa, has been arrested by military authorities for allegedly being in illegal possession of over 200 rounds of ammunition in Jaji, Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Yunusa, who is attached to the 197 Special Forces Battalion in Zamfara State, was apprehended around 11:55 a.m. on Friday, April 18, 2025, while allegedly attempting to smuggle ammunition without authorisation. According to an operational report obtained by PLATFORM TIMES, the soldier was caught with 214 rounds of ammunition of various calibres, all hidden and linked by chains, raising suspicion of possible illicit distribution or diversion. Military…

A Nigerian soldier attached to Operation Delta Safe in Bayelsa State has been arrested by the police alongside a civilian over allegations of armed robbery and car theft. The suspects were reportedly apprehended while attempting to transport a stolen Toyota Hilux vehicle from Lagos to a location in the South-South region of the country. Sources said that the soldier, whose identity has not yet been officially released, allegedly connived with the civilian accomplice to steal the vehicle in Lagos. To avoid detection at security checkpoints during the journey, the soldier reportedly accompanied the civilian to facilitate clearance, leveraging his military…