Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Kaduna-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, has claimed that killings involving herdsmen and Christian communities across Nigeria are retaliatory attacks rather than a targeted genocide against Christians. Gumi, who posted the comments on his Facebook page on Thursday, insisted that both sides bear responsibility for the deadly clashes that have persisted for years across the Middle Belt and other parts of the country. “The Christians at ‘fault lines’ in war with herdsmen do also attack and counterattack. They kill and they are also killed. We regret all loss of lives,” he wrote, cautioning commentators against describing the crisis as a…

The Federal Government has secured a major legal victory in a 43-year-old dispute over the controversial Ajaokuta Iron and Steel civil works contract, after an arbitration tribunal dismissed a fresh multi-billion-naira claim filed by French construction firm, Fougerolle SA and its Nigerian affiliate, Fougerolle Nigeria Ltd. Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, announced the victory on Friday, describing it as a decisive blow against “predatory and opportunistic claims” targeting Nigeria’s finances. Fagbemi said the tribunal—sitting under the Alternative Dispute Resolution Centre of the Federal High Court—delivered its final award on November 11, dismissing the…

The Department of State Services (DSS) has transferred the detained leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, from its Abuja facility to the Nigerian Custodial Centre in Sokoto following his conviction for terrorism. PLATFORM TIMES gathered that the transfer was carried out on Friday, barely 24 hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja sentenced Kanu to life imprisonment on seven counts of terrorism. The defence counsel, Aloy Ejimakor, who confirmed the development, raised concerns that the relocation would severely limit Kanu’s access to his lawyers and family members. Ejimakor wrote, “Mazi Nnamdi Kanu has…

The Benue State Police Command has arrested three women suspected to be part of a child trafficking ring after officers intercepted a vehicle transporting six children along the Orokam–Enugu highway. Spokesperson of the command, DSP Udeme Edet, disclosed in a statement on Friday that the suspects — Monica Okonkwo (57), Nkiru Nwosu (55), and Oyechele Francisca (57) — were apprehended during a routine patrol around 5:05 p.m. on Thursday. According to Edet, the women, all natives of Umude Oka in Dunukofia Local Government Area of Anambra State, were unable to provide credible explanations for the movement of the children, raising…

A fresh wave of school abductions hit Niger State on Friday as 215 pupils and 12 teachers of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, were whisked away by armed bandits in a dawn raid that has triggered nationwide outrage. The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, confirmed the exact number hours after the attack, ending earlier speculations by the Catholic Archdiocese of Kontagora which had said the number of abductees was still unclear. Speaking after visiting the affected community late Friday, CAN Chairman, Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, described the incident as “devastating” and…

Troops of the Nigerian Army have arrested a suspected major arms dealer, rescued a kidnapped victim and disrupted several terrorist networks during coordinated operations across the North-West and North-Central within the last 24 hours. A credible military source at the Army Headquarters confirmed the breakthroughs to the News Agency of Nigeria, saying the operations were carried out under Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Operation Enduring Peace, and Operation Whirl Stroke. According to the source, troops on Thursday intercepted a suspected terrorist informant during an ambush at Ungwan Gombawa in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State. In another major operation, soldiers of…

The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) has deepened its footprint in Ogun State after its recent sensitisation programme triggered a surge in student loan applications amounting to more than ₦785 million in disbursements to tertiary institutions across the state. The awareness campaign, held at the Crownbirth Event Centre in Ijebu-Ife, was facilitated by education advocate Otunba Femi Adewumi and hosted by the Executive Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Dr. Oluwadare Kehinde (Hacco). The event brought together parents, students, school administrators and community leaders to demystify the process of accessing the Federal Government-backed loan scheme. Adewumi said the outreach was…

The Katsina and Plateau state governments have ordered the immediate closure of public schools following a surge in banditry attacks targeting educational institutions across northern Nigeria, PLATFORM TIMES reports. The directives were issued on Friday amid growing fear among parents after fresh cases of student abductions in Kebbi and Niger states intensified concerns over school safety. In Katsina, the Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Yusuf Jibia, told journalists that the state had no option but to suspend academic activities to protect students and teachers. According to him, the order affects even students currently sitting for examinations. “This decision is…

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arraigned Abdulazeez Obadaki, the suspected mastermind of the 2022 Kuje Correctional Centre jailbreak and the 2012 massacre at the Deeper Life Bible Church in Okene, Kogi State. Obadaki, also known as Bomboy, was brought before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Thursday on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism, conspiracy, aiding violent attacks, concealment of information, and escape from lawful custody. At least 19 worshippers, including a pastor, were shot dead in the 2012 church attack after gunmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the service and opened fire indiscriminately.…

The federal government on Friday ordered the immediate shutdown of 47 Federal Unity Colleges nationwide following rising security threats in parts of the country. The directive, issued through a circular from the Federal Ministry of Education, said the closure was approved by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, as a precautionary measure to safeguard students and staff. The memo, signed by Binta Abdulkadir, Director of Senior Secondary Education, cited “recent security challenges in some parts of the country and the need to prevent any security breaches” as the basis for the emergency action. Schools administrators have been instructed to…