Author: Platform Times Newspaper

In a twist of fate, a 30-year-old cleric with the Evangelical Church Winning All, Pastor Samson Ali, who was abducted by gunmen in Kaduna State, has regained his freedom — but the man who delivered the ransom for his release is now in captivity. Ali, who had only recently been posted to the ECWA church in Mararaba Aboro, Sanga Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was kidnapped from his residence on April 8, 2025. The kidnappers had initially demanded N100m for his release before settling for an undisclosed amount. While negotiations were ongoing, a combined team of security operatives, including…

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a woman, Chinwendu Onyeneho, for allegedly using a hot electric iron to burn her seven-year-old daughter as punishment for eating a piece of meat from a pot. The disturbing incident occurred on Thursday night at No. 11 Oshimyemi Street, Ogba area of Lagos, drawing swift outrage from civil society groups and residents. According to eyewitnesses, Onyeneho reportedly asked her daughter to serve meat to her younger sibling but became enraged when she noticed the girl had eaten part of it. She then allegedly plugged in an electric iron and used it to inflict…

The Federal Government has announced stringent new measures to curb visa violations by foreign nationals, including the imposition of a $15 daily fine and a lifetime ban for those who overstay their visas for a year or more. Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, made the disclosure on Friday during a stakeholders’ meeting held at the NECA House in Lagos, where he unveiled major reforms under the Nigeria Visa Policy (NVP) 2025 and immigration management systems. According to Tunji-Ojo, the new sanctions—part of broader efforts to sanitise Nigeria’s immigration system—will take effect in May 2025, with a three-month amnesty period lasting…

The Federal Government has dismissed allegations that appointments made by President Bola Tinubu’s administration have been skewed in favour of a particular region, insisting that all appointments were in line with the federal character principle as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution. This defence was contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Director of Information and Public Relations at the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Segun Imohiosen. Reacting to widespread criticisms, particularly on social media, over the composition of federal appointments, Imohiosen stressed that President Tinubu is committed to fairness, equity and national unity.…

Former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir el-Rufai, has dismissed speculations that his recent visit to former President Muhammadu Buhari was politically motivated, stating that the visit was purely about unity and brotherhood. On Friday, a high-profile delegation led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar visited Buhari at his residence in Kaduna. Alongside el-Rufai, other prominent political figures who accompanied Atiku included Aminu Tambuwal, former Governor of Sokoto; Isa Pantami, former Minister of Communications; Achike Udenwa, former Governor of Imo; Gabriel Suswam, former Governor of Benue; and Jibrilla Bindow, former Governor of Adamawa. In a post shared on social media platform X,…

…Earned 55 As, 5.0 GPA in six semesters Uthman Uthman Olayode, the overall best graduating student of Abiola Ajimobi Technical University, Ibadan, has revealed that he failed the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) five times before eventually securing admission and excelling academically. Olayode shared his story during the combined convocation ceremony of the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions held on Friday at the institution’s premises in Ibadan, Oyo State. The ceremony was attended by dignitaries including the Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, represented by his deputy, Barrister Bayo Lawal; the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin, represented by…

Suspected bandits have launched a deadly reprisal attack on Tafoki village in the Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, killing several residents and dumping their corpses at the community entrance in a chilling show of brutality. The attackers, believed to be mostly in their 20s, reportedly stormed the village on April 9, executing abducted villagers and leaving their lifeless bodies deliberately positioned at the gateway to the town. Sources from the community linked the gruesome attack to the killing of three bandits — including a notorious gang leader known as Goje — during a botched attempt to raid the…

The Federal High Court in Abuja has ruled that suspended Deputy Commissioner of Police, Abba Kyari, and his co-defendants have a case to answer in the drug trafficking charges brought against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. Delivering the ruling on Friday, Justice Emeka Nwite dismissed the no-case submissions filed by Kyari and his co-defendants, holding that a prima facie case had been established by the prosecution. The court subsequently ordered the defendants to enter their defence in the five-count charge bordering on conspiracy, tampering with narcotics, and trafficking. Kyari, a former commander of the Intelligence Response Team…

No fewer than 11,000 job seekers have applied for less than 100 vacancies announced by the Kano State Public Complaints and Anti-Corruption Commission, barely three days after the portal opened. The Commission, headed by Barrister Muhuyi Magaji Rimingado, confirmed the overwhelming interest on Thursday, citing high unemployment and the agency’s growing reputation for integrity as key drivers of the surge in applications. Rimingado disclosed to SolaceBase that as of 6:30pm on Thursday, about 10,757 individuals had registered via the Commission’s official portal. “By 10:00pm, the figure had surpassed 11,000,” he said. The application process, which began on April 7, is…

Wema Bank Plc has announced the commencement of a N150bn rights issue as part of its recapitalisation strategy, with the offer set to open on April 14, 2025. PLATFORM TIMES reports that in a corporate disclosure filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Friday, the bank said it would issue 14,286,785,417 ordinary shares of 50 kobo each at N10.45 per share. The offer will be on the basis of two new ordinary shares for every three held by shareholders whose names appear in the register as of March 5, 2025. This marks the first phase of the bank’s broader plan…