Author: Platform Times Newspaper

The Federal Government has declared Friday, June 12, 2026, as a public holiday in commemoration of this year’s Democracy Day celebration, reaffirming the country’s commitment to democratic governance and national unity. The announcement was made on Thursday by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, through a statement issued by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Magdalene Ajani. Tunji-Ojo said the declaration aligns with Nigeria’s tradition of honouring June 12 as a defining moment in the nation’s political history, stressing that the date remains symbolic of the struggle for democracy, justice, and the will of the people. He noted that Democracy…

The Inspector-General of Police, Tunji Disu,  has arraigned five persons before the Federal High Court in Abuja over their alleged involvement in hacking the server of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board during the 2026 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination. The defendants — Ojiyovwi Miracle, Goodluck Ovuijeddo, Dennis Uvietesivwi, Ransome Monday and Hilda Ejohwemu — were dragged before the court on a six-count charge bordering on cybercrime, examination malpractice and fraud. In the charge marked FHC/ABJ/CR/300/2026 and filed on May 22 by prosecuting counsel, Faith Dimka, the police accused the suspects of conspiring to unlawfully access JAMB’s computer systems and manipulate…

The Federal Government on Thursday received no fewer than 270 Nigerian returnees evacuated from South Africa, as concerns mount over rising xenophobic tensions in the country. The returnees were received in Lagos by officials of the National Emergency Management Agency under the Federal Government’s voluntary repatriation programme. According to a statement issued by the agency’s Lagos Operations Office, the evacuees arrived at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, aboard an Air Peace flight from Johannesburg at about 10:25am. The Head of Operations, NEMA Lagos Office, Mohammed Olatunde, said the returnees had earlier registered for evacuation and completed necessary documentation and…

The House of Representatives on Thursday passed a bill seeking to establish state police, a move considered a major step towards decentralising Nigeria’s policing structure in response to worsening insecurity across the country. The decision followed a vote by 289 lawmakers in favour of the proposal during plenary presided over by the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas. Only one member voted against the bill, while the Speaker abstained. The passage, however, was not without controversy as some lawmakers protested the late circulation of the draft. Raising a point of order, a member representing Kaduna State, Bashir Zubairu, said the document was made…

The Chairman of the All Progressives Congress Local Government Chairmen Forum, Hon. Henry Fagbenro, has called for stronger grassroots participation in governance as Nigeria commemorates this year’s Democracy Day. Fagbenro, in a statement on Thursday, said June 12 remains a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic history, underscoring the need to sustain the ideals of accountability, civic responsibility, and popular participation. He described the June 12, 1993 presidential election, widely believed to have been won by the late Moshood Kashimawo Olawale Abiola, as a symbol of Nigerians’ collective struggle for justice and electoral integrity. According to him, the annulment of the…

Football, they say, is a reflection of society. If that is true, then the current state of Nigerian football tells a deeper story about the challenges confronting our nation. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup is about to kickoff in North America, the painful reality remains that Nigeria’s Super Eagles are not playing at the global football festival this year. Yet, even if Nigeria fails to qualify, Nigerians by blood will still be present at the World Cup, proudly representing other nations that recognized, nurtured and rewarded their talents. This reality should provoke serious reflection among policymakers, football administrators and…

Zainab Abioye Surveyors have stressed the urgent need for accurate geospatial data and effective urban planning as critical drivers of sustainable infrastructure and the development of smart cities in Nigeria. A Professor of Environmental Management and Environmental Health at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Olusegun Oguntoke, made the call on Wednesday while delivering a lecture at the Biennial Luncheon and Welcome Reception for new fellows of the Ogun State Body of Fellows of the Nigerian Institution of Surveyors held in Abeokuta. Speaking on the theme, “Sustainable Infrastructure Development for Smart Cities: The Role of Nigerian Surveyors,” Oguntoke warned that…

 A prosecution witness on Wednesday told the Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja that former Aviation Minister, Hadi Sirika, allegedly used a chartered aircraft belonging to Ethiopian Airlines to stage a brief “Nigeria Air” appearance days before the end of the Muhammadu Buhari administration. The 12th prosecution witness, Christopher Odofin, an investigator with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, made the disclosure before Justice S.C. Oriji of the FCT High Court while giving evidence in the ongoing trial over alleged abuse of office and misappropriation of over N2bn linked to the controversial national carrier project. Sirika is being prosecuted…

The Ogun State Police Command has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the mysterious death of three persons— a woman, her son, and a man identified by residents as popularly called “Shanko”— in the Egbe Subair area of Ijebu-Igbo, Ogun State. The incident, which threw the community into confusion on Wednesday, reportedly occurred earlier in the day before the victims were discovered in separate parts of the building. Residents told local sources that the lifeless bodies of the woman and the male victim were found inside a toilet within the apartment, while the corpse of the woman’s son was…

….Lawmakers Cite  Repeated Refusal To Honour Invitations …Probe Linked To NNPCL Accounts From 2017–202 Daud Olatunji The Senate Committee on Public Accounts on Wednesday ordered the arrest of a former Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Mele Kyari, over his alleged refusal to honour multiple invitations in an ongoing probe of the oil firm’s finances. The panel’s directive followed mounting concerns over unresolved audit queries involving over N210tn in the company’s accounts spanning 2017 to 2023. Chairman of the committee, Ibrahim Dankwambo, issued the order after a motion moved by Victor Umeh and seconded by…