Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have arrested a woman, Ihensekhien Obehi, for attempting to smuggle cocaine to Iran using a highly unusual concealment method involving her private parts, stomach, and handbag. Obehi, who disguised herself in a hijab, was apprehended on Sunday, May 3, 2025, at the Port Harcourt International Airport while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight en route to Iran via Doha. According to a statement by NDLEA spokesperson, Femi Babafemi, the suspect was caught with three wraps of cocaine inserted into her private part, two parcels concealed in the false bottom of…

Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has ruled out any return to the Aso Rock Villa, throwing her weight behind President Bola Tinubu and First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, ahead of the 2027 general elections. Jonathan made the statement on Saturday night in Abuja while receiving the Women Icon Leader of the Year 2025 award presented by Accolade Dynamics Limited. She used the occasion to express her unwavering commitment to the principle of rotational leadership, describing it as crucial to Nigeria’s unity. “I believe in one president. I believe in turn-by-turn. When it’s your turn, I will support you. When…

In a startling revelation that has further stoked controversy in Nigeria’s political scene, a journalist, Francess Olisa Ogbonnaya, has accused UK-based Nigerian businesswoman, Sandra Duru, popularly known as Prof Mgbeke, of orchestrating a smear campaign against Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan. The exposé comes on the heels of Duru’s earlier claims that Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan attempted to bribe her with N200 million to fabricate an allegation of organ harvesting against Senate President Godswill Akpabio — an allegation the senator has since denied. In a viral video that surfaced over the weekend, Ogbonnaya alleged that Duru contacted her with a request to produce a…

Former Special Assistants (SAs) who served in the administration of ex-Governor Ibikunle Amosun have renewed their appeal to Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State over the non-payment of their severance allowances, urging him to fulfill a promise made years ago. The aggrieved aides, who served between 2015 and 2019, made their plea in an open letter signed by the coordinator of the group, Hon. (Otunba) Musiliu Oladeinde. The forum appealed to Governor Abiodun for what they described as a “kind consideration” in approving and releasing their severance entitlements as stipulated by extant laws. The former aides, under the aegis of…

Worried by the steady decline in reading habits among young learners, a Professor of Discourse Analysis and Linguistics, Bandele Adeboye Sogbesan, has called for a radical shift in the content and presentation of children’s literature in Nigeria. Sogbesan, who made the call at the 32nd Inaugural Lecture of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, insisted that sparking interest in reading at an early age requires more engaging, imaginative and fun-based literary materials tailored to young minds. Speaking on the topic, “The Pilot’s Dilemma in the Search for Utopia: Replicating Linguistic and Communicative Competencies in Institutions of Learning,” the professor…

The Ogun State Muslim Council (OMC) has charged intending pilgrims from the state and across the country to conduct themselves with discipline and decorum during the 2025 Hajj exercise. Speaking at a farewell event held in Abeokuta for the state’s contingent, the Council warned that any act of indiscipline—whether deliberate or unintended—could tarnish Nigeria’s image and hinder the overall success of the religious pilgrimage. The OMC, under the leadership of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona, described the Hajj as a sacred global convergence that demands strict adherence to rules and spiritual mindfulness. In a statement signed by…

Seventy-eight Nigerian victims of human trafficking rescued from Côte d’Ivoire arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, late Saturday night amid tears, relief and renewed hope, as the Director General of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons, Binta Adamu Bello, vowed a total crackdown on the syndicate behind their ordeal. NAPTIP disclosed this in a  statement issued by the Press Officer,  Adekoye Vincent , adding that the victims, include  75 young women and girls, three babies, and two adult males—were evacuated aboard an Air Peace flight facilitated free of charge by the airline’s Chairman, Mr…

No fewer than 375 Nigerian nationals applied for asylum in Sweden in 2024, with middle-aged women forming the majority of applicants, data from the Swedish Migration Agency has revealed. According to figures published on the agency’s “Asyl” portal, Nigeria ranked ninth globally and fourth among African countries with the highest number of asylum seekers last year. Of the total applications, 239 were first-time requests, while 136 were follow-up submissions by individuals seeking to extend their temporary protection status. A demographic breakdown of the figures shows that nearly half of the Nigerian applicants were between the ages of 25 and 44.…

Despite a sharp decline in reported data breaches, Nigeria remains vulnerable to mounting cyberthreats, with over 119,000 user accounts already compromised in 2025, a new report has revealed. According to findings by cybersecurity firm Surfshark, Nigeria ranks third in Sub-Saharan Africa for the highest number of total breaches since 2004, recording over 23.2 million compromised accounts. The report, which analysed over 29,000 publicly available databases, also highlighted that although data breaches in Nigeria plummeted by 85% between Q4 2024 and Q1 2025, risks associated with digital exposure remain alarmingly high. “Cyberthreats continue to evolve, and attackers are constantly adapting their…

The Abia State Government has announced plans to convert the newly built Government House in Umuahia, commissioned under former Governor Okezie Ikpeazu, into a five-star hotel, citing structural deficiencies and impracticality for administrative use. Commissioner for Information, Mr Okey Kanu, disclosed this during a press tour of the expansive facility located at Ogurube Layout, a stone’s throw from the state secretariat. Kanu described the complex as “uninhabitable” and a “security risk,” insisting that the edifice, hurriedly inaugurated on May 28, 2023—a day before the end of Ikpeazu’s tenure—was incomplete and lacked basic residential and official amenities. “The structure is hollow.…