Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Kaduna State Government has dismissed as “reckless and unfounded” the allegation by former Governor Nasir El-Rufai that the administration of Governor Uba Sani paid ₦1 billion to bandits, issuing him a one-week ultimatum to either provide evidence or publicly apologise. El-Rufai had, during a recent interview on Channels Television, alleged that the state government under Sani authorised a huge payout to criminal groups—an allegation the government described as politically motivated and a deliberate attempt to mislead the public. In a strongly worded statement on Sunday, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shu’aibu, SAN, said the former…

Troops of the 6 Brigade of the Nigerian Army have arrested a suspected kidnapper in Wukari Local Government Area of Taraba State while he was allegedly negotiating a N20 million ransom with relatives of an abducted resident. The suspect, identified as Umar Musa Geyi, was picked up on Saturday during a covert operation at the Jandei–Kulamu axis following an intelligence-led surveillance by troops under Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS) and Operation Zafin Wuta. Army spokesperson, Umar Mohammed, who confirmed the arrest on Sunday, said Geyi had long been on the radar of security agencies over his alleged links…

A Nigerian man, Victor Benjamin Fajemirokun, who allegedly killed an official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mrs. Funmilayo Lasisi, and her daughter, Sewa, has been arrested in Ghana after weeks on the run. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that Fajemirokun, 36, was tracked down by operatives of Ghana’s Eastern South Regional Police Command after fleeing Nigeria to evade arrest. The Regional Commander, George Ohene-Boadi, who confirmed the development during a press briefing, said officers launched an intelligence-led operation after intercepting a viral video alleging that the suspect abducted and murdered the FRSC officer and her daughter in Abeokuta, Ogun State.…

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday held an emergency closed-door meeting with the nation’s service chiefs at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, amid rising security concerns and a fresh wave of abductions across northern states. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the meeting, which began in the afternoon, was convened urgently following heightened public anxiety over recent kidnappings and bandit attacks. Top military and intelligence chiefs in attendance included the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyode; Chief of Army Staff, Major General Waidi Shaibu; Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Idi Abbas; Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Kelvin Aneke, and Chief…

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the immediate withdrawal of police officers attached to Very Important Persons (VIPs) across the country, insisting that the overstretched police force must return to its core constitutional responsibilities of protecting citizens and communities. The directive, issued on Sunday during a high-level security meeting in Abuja, signals a major policy shift aimed at boosting police visibility nationwide amid worsening insecurity. Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, confirmed the development, stating that VIPs who still require close protection would henceforth request armed operatives from the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) rather than the Nigeria Police Force.…

.. Report uncovers tax breaches, irregular contracts …$529,863, N247m Unpaid Taxes Flagged As Illegal Breaches Daud Olatunji The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) is again at the centre of a financial accountability crisis after the Auditor-General of the Federation uncovered over $51 million paid out under questionable circumstances, alongside multiple breaches of financial regulations and weak internal controls. The revelations, contained in an explosive 808-page audit report submitted to the National Assembly in September 2025, cover transactions carried out between 2020 and 2021 during the tenure of former Group Chief Executive Officer, Mele Kyari. According to the report seen…

Communities in Chikun and Igabi Local Government Areas of Kaduna State have raised alarm over renewed attacks by individuals identified as repentant bandits, who allegedly stole 97 cattle within one week, leaving already impoverished farmers devastated. The villagers, who sent out an SOS message at the weekend, accused the ex-bandits—previously profiled under the state’s peace-building initiative—of returning to violent crimes unchecked, especially around the Kaduna Airport axis and settlements along the Kaduna–Birnin Gwari Road. A representative of the affected farmers, who shared details of the attacks via a WhatsApp community platform, listed the losses suffered by four farmers alone. According…

President Bola Tinubu on Sunday announced that all 38 worshippers kidnapped by gunmen during a church service in Eruku, Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, have been rescued. Bandits had on Tuesday night stormed the Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke Isegun, Eruku, a border community with Kogi State, shooting sporadically as the congregation held a live-streamed service. A video of the attack, which surfaced online, showed worshippers scampering for safety as the armed men forced their way into the church. In a statement posted on his X handle, the President said he had been monitoring coordinated security operations since…

The Jamhiyat Nuur Somodany Al-Islamy Foundation (JANSAF) has honoured a number of distinguished Muslims for their exceptional contributions to the propagation of Islam during its 2025 Maolid Nabiyy celebration held in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The event, which took place over the weekend, drew prominent Islamic scholars, community leaders, and political officeholders, including the Chief Imam of Egbaland, Fadilat Sheikh Saadallah Alade Bamgbola, the Ogun State House of Assembly member representing Yewa North II, Hon. Harun Abdul-Wahab Egungbohun, and a Federal Commissioner with the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), Hon. Akeem Amosun. Led by its spiritual head, Fadilat Sheikh…

Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Saturday witnessed another grand celebration of Christian matrimony as Chidima Oluwatobiloba, daughter of the Set Man of Victory Life Bible Church (VLBC), Apostle Lawrence Achudume, tied the knot with her heartthrob, Israel Aduragbemi Lawal, in a ceremony attended by prominent clerics, political leaders, and well-wishers from within and outside Nigeria. The colourful union, held at the church’s Ajebo Road headquarters, comes barely months after Apostle Achudume celebrated the wedding of his son, David, in April — turning VLBC into a recurring venue of high-profile family celebrations in 2025. Draped in resplendent purple décor, the…