Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The United Premier Movement (UPM) has congratulated traditional religious worshippers and cultural ambassadors across Yorubaland and Egbaland as they prepare to mark the 2025 Isese Day on Wednesday, August 20. In a goodwill message signed by its convener, Hon. (Chief) Olalekan Shoyinka, popularly known as Ayinla Egba, the movement described Isese Day as more than a festival, noting that it represents the spirituality, resilience, and identity of the Yoruba people. According to Shoyinka, the annual celebration serves as a reminder of the rich cultural values of the Yoruba nation and provides an opportunity for thanksgiving and reflection. “Isese Day is…

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s N10 million loan initiative for tertiary institution workers, warning that it would mobilise nationwide protests over unresolved demands. The union, in a communiqué issued after its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at Usmanu Danfodio University, Sokoto, on Tuesday, described its inclusion in the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF) as a “ploy to conscript ASUU as guarantor of loans it knows nothing about.” Signed by ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, the statement insisted that what its members needed was not loans but the release of their withheld three-and-a-half…

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has alleged that former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Babachir Lawal, turned against President Bola Tinubu because he was not chosen as the vice-presidential candidate in 2023. Wike, who spoke on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Tuesday, claimed Lawal nursed expectations of being Tinubu’s running mate and became bitter when the President opted for Senator Kashim Shettima. “When Mr President chose his vice-presidential candidate, Babachir visited me in Port Harcourt. His anger was that he thought Mr President would have picked him. Having not done that, he…

The Kwara State University (KWASU), Malete, has broken new ground in renewable energy innovation with the successful conversion of two petrol-engine vehicles into electric-powered automobiles, which were officially handed over to the state government on Tuesday. The vehicles, converted under the supervision of the university’s technical team, were presented to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Technology in Ilorin. Speaking on behalf of the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Shaykh-Luqman Jimoh, the Chairman of KWASU Hold-co, Prof. Kenneth Adeyemi, described the project as a milestone that would not only promote a greener environment but also strengthen the state’s drive towards sustainable technology.…

The United States government has said that Nigeria’s newly approved minimum wage of N70,000 is grossly inadequate to lift citizens out of poverty, as rising inflation and currency devaluation have eroded its real value. In its 2024 Country Report on Human Rights Practices, the US noted that the minimum wage, which is equivalent to just $47.90 per month, falls below the poverty line and is rarely enforced by authorities across the federation. “The National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024 doubled the minimum wage to N70,000 ($47.90) per month. Despite the increase, currency devaluation meant the wage was no longer higher…

The Borno State Police Command has arrested a suspected car thief, Umar Lawan, after recovering a vehicle stolen during an armed robbery in Ogun State. The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, confirmed the development in a statement on Tuesday, disclosing that the arrest was made following intelligence provided by the Car Dealers Association in Maiduguri. According to Daso, the dealers had raised suspicion about a white Toyota car with Lagos registration number SMK 975 JY, which Lawan attempted to sell without providing convincing proof of ownership. He explained that police operatives attached to the Command’s Crack Squad swiftly…

A disturbing video has surfaced online showing armed vigilante operatives assaulting and stripping a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) in Anambra State. The incident, which reportedly occurred on July 23, 2025, at a corps members’ lodge, involved men believed to be members of the Operation Udo Ga-Achi, also known as the Agunechemba Vigilante Group. The victim, identified as Jennifer Edema Elohor, was seen in the viral footage being beaten and stripped naked by men carrying rifles, despite presenting her NYSC identity card to prove her status. The rights group, Haven 360 Foundation, which released the footage…

The United Nations has warned that Nigeria is on the brink of a deepening humanitarian crisis, with over 31 million people currently food insecure and more than 10 million children under five suffering from acute malnutrition, out of which 3.5 million face severe malnutrition. The disturbing figures were disclosed on Tuesday in Abuja during a joint meeting between the Federal Government and the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to mark the 2025 World Humanitarian Day, themed “Strengthening Global Solidarity and Empowering Local Communities.” UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, said the crisis is…

Nigeria spends over $10 billion every year on food imports, including wheat, rice, sugar, fish, and even tomato paste, the Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari, has revealed. Kyari, who spoke on Tuesday at the First Bank of Nigeria Agric and Export Expo in Lagos, decried the rising dependence on foreign food products despite the country’s vast agricultural resources. Represented by his Special Adviser, Ibrahim Alkali, the minister stressed that inadequate financing for the agriculture sector was crippling Nigeria’s food security and limiting its potential in global trade. “Agriculture contributes 35 percent of our GDP and employs 35…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the freezing of four bank accounts linked to the immediate past Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Mele Kyari, over alleged fraud and money laundering. Justice Emeka Nwite issued the order on Tuesday after the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) moved an ex parte application seeking to preserve the funds pending the conclusion of investigations. The EFCC, through its counsel, Ogechi Ujam, told the court that the commission had traced suspicious inflows amounting to ₦661,464,601.50 to the accounts domiciled in Jaiz Bank and allegedly controlled…