Author: Platform Times Newspaper

A Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has sentenced a 19-year-old private school teacher, Abdullahi Abbass, to life imprisonment for sexually assaulting his nine-year-old pupil. Justice M. Osho-Adebiyi delivered the verdict on October 29, 2025, after finding Abbass guilty of raping the minor in violation of Section 2 of the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, 2015, which prescribes life jail for offenders. The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), in a statement issued on Saturday by its spokesperson, Vincent Adekoye, said Abbass lured the victim from his home after school hours on March 19, 2025,…

Police in Akwa Ibom State have arraigned a masquerade and its group leader for allegedly assaulting residents, blocking a public road, and extorting commuters under the guise of cultural display. The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Timfon John, confirmed the development on Saturday, saying the suspects were apprehended after a distress call reported that a masquerade group was attacking members of the public and forcefully collecting money from passers-by. According to the police, the suspects — including the head of the “Ekpo” masquerade group, identified as Uwem Umanah, 45 — allegedly armed themselves with dangerous weapons including spears, arrows,…

Nigeria is heading toward a major hunger crisis, as a new Cadre Harmonisé food security assessment has projected that at least 34.7 million people across 27 states and the Federal Capital Territory will face acute food insecurity between June and August 2026. The assessment, released in Abuja on Friday by the Nigeria Food Security Sector under the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, warns that worsening insecurity, soaring food production costs and climate shocks could push millions into deeper hunger if urgent interventions are not deployed. According to the analysis, 27.2 million Nigerians are already food insecure, including 485,109…

A death-row inmate, identified as Abba Hassan, has escaped from the Maximum Security Custodial Centre in Potiskum, Yobe State, prompting a massive manhunt by security agencies across the North-East. Hassan, said to be from Maiduguri in neighbouring Borno State, reportedly escaped in the early hours of Friday, October 31, 2025. Confirming the incident in a statement on Saturday, the spokesperson for the Yobe State Police Command, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, described the escape as a serious security breach and warned members of the public against attempting to confront the fleeing convict. “A condemned inmate, Abba Hassan, has escaped from the Maximum…

A fresh wave of crisis has erupted in the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, as a faction of the National Working Committee loyal to Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday announced the suspension of the party’s Acting National Chairman, Umar Damagum, and several other top national officers. Senator Samuel Anyanwu, himself recently suspended by the Damagum-led leadership, announced the move at a press briefing in Abuja, accusing the embattled chairman of incompetence, financial misconduct and disobedience to court orders. Anyanwu, who addressed journalists in the company of factional NWC members, declared that the committee had appointed the National Vice…

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has hailed the Abeokuta Girls’ Grammar School Old Girls’ Association (AGSOGA 1975 Set) for their contributions to educational development, describing alumni bodies as crucial partners in nation-building. Abiodun, who was represented by the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Adijat Adeleye, spoke at the association’s 50th anniversary dinner held at Daktad Hotel, Abeokuta. He commended the old students for their investments in mentoring, infrastructure upgrade and community service, particularly the commissioning of a newly furnished library at the school. Abiodun said government alone cannot shoulder the responsibility of providing infrastructure, adding that collaborations with…

Daud Olatunji The Remo Growth and Development Foundation (RemoGDF) has announced activities for the 2025 Remo Day Celebration, with a pledge to deepen unity, cultural pride, and socio-economic development across Remoland and beyond. The celebration, themed “One People, Diverse Cultures, One Identity,” is scheduled to hold from December 23 to 27, 2025, with a series of cultural, religious, and community-building events expected to draw sons and daughters of Remo from across Nigeria and the diaspora. Speaking at a press conference held on Friday, at the RemoGDF Secretariat in Iperu, Ogun State, the Chairman of the Foundation, Otunba Seni Adetu, described…

As Nigeria enters its peak dry-season months, renewable-energy users have been urged to take extra safety precautions, as experts warn that extreme temperatures could trigger a spike in solar-related fire incidents across the country. Solar analyst and renewable-energy advocate, Yakubu Yunusa, raised the alarm while speaking on seasonal climate conditions and the rising adoption of solar power nationwide. According to him, although the dry season offers “the best sunlight intensity and longest daylight hours for solar power generation,” the same weather conditions pose significant danger to poorly installed or neglected systems. “Poor installations, unverified components, and a widespread lack of…

Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, on Friday threw his weight behind the Federal High Court judgment that halted preparations for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) national convention scheduled for November 15–16, accusing the party’s current leadership of gross impunity and disrespect for internal democracy. Wike, who spoke during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, said the court’s intervention was necessary to check what he called “arrogant leadership” in the party. He alleged that key officers and some governors had sidelined due process and pushed aggrieved party faithful to seek justice in court. “The laws are there to follow. If you…

Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Shehu Dikko, has dismissed allegations that the $1.2 million FIFA fund allocated for the construction of a mini-stadium in Kebbi State was diverted. Dikko, who spoke during a Channels Television programme, Politics Today, on Friday, insisted that no Nigerian official or the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) handled the money, saying FIFA solely managed the project financing and implementation. He explained that the controversy surrounding the stadium stemmed from misinformation about how FIFA’s Forward Programme operates. “Nobody collected the money. FIFA manages its projects directly — they appoint consultants, supervise procurement, and pay contractors.…