Author: Platform Times Newspaper

.. N2.23 Trillion Paid in Ransoms in One Year … Judicial Pressure Needed To Fix Security Crisis Daud Olatunji   Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has called on Nigerians who have paid ransoms to negotiate the release of kidnapped relatives to take legal action against the Federal Government, insisting they should demand a refund. He accused the state of a “gross dereliction of duty” in protecting its citizens, especially amid a crippling surge in abductions nationwide. Falana made the remarks on Thursday during the opening of the Legal Year at Yakubu Gowon University’s Faculty of Law, Abuja. He argued that…

Firdaus Obiremi A renewed call for Nigerian youths to rethink the meaning of spinsterhood and bachelorhood dominated discussions on Saturday, at the 3rd Annual General Conference of the Lineage of Grace Initiative for Family Foundation (LOGIFF), held at Sweet Sensation Hall, Oke-Ilewo, Abeokuta. The conference, themed “Changing the Narrative – Re-defining Spinsterhood and Bachelorhood,” also coincided with the 47th birthday celebration of LOGIFF’s founder, Pastor (Mrs.) Mopelola Arowosafe. In her welcome address, Arowosafe said the foundation was committed to building a society where young people are equipped with the values, confidence and skills needed to live meaningful lives rather than…

Chairman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (retd.), has declared that his second tenure will bring unprecedented heat on drug barons and trafficking syndicates across the country. President Bola Tinubu on Friday renewed Marwa’s appointment for another five-year term, extending his leadership of the agency until 2031. Addressing NDLEA personnel during a reception held for him at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja on Sunday, Marwa said the renewed mandate would deepen the agency’s war against narcotics, warning that drug cartels “have seen nothing yet.” According to a statement by the NDLEA spokesperson, Femi…

In a nation where many young people struggle against socio-economic barriers, stories of resilience and academic excellence continue to inspire hope. One such story is that of Oluwadamilare Caleb Fabiyi, a recent graduate of Environmental Health Sciences from the University of Ibadan, who finished with an exceptional 3.86/4.0 CGPA. From growing up in Agugu community in Ibadan to emerging as a leading student, volunteer, and youth leader, Caleb’s journey reflects discipline, vision, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. In this interview with KOREDE BADMUS, he shares the experiences, motivations, and principles that shaped his academic and leadership journey—offering valuable insights…

The Edo State Police Command has arrested 21 students of Ogioma Public Secondary School, Benin City, after allegedly storming a neighbouring school in what authorities described as an attempted cult-related attack. The students, aged between 13 and 17, were intercepted on Wednesday after they reportedly rode into Osemwende Public Secondary School in a convoy of motorcycles, allegedly to launch a violent assault on students and staff. Police Public Relations Officer, Moses Yamu, disclosed in a statement on Saturday that operatives attached to the Loveworld Division acted swiftly after receiving intelligence about the planned invasion. According to him, the suspects had…

South-East leaders are sharply divided over the Federal Government’s move to secure the transfer of former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu, from a United Kingdom correctional facility to Nigeria to complete his jail term. Ekweremadu was convicted in the UK in 2023 for organ trafficking after British authorities found that a donor was falsely presented as a relative for a kidney transplant for his ailing daughter, Sonia. He is currently serving a nine-year, eight-month sentence, while his wife, Beatrice, who received a shorter sentence, has since returned to Nigeria. But President Bola Tinubu has authorised fresh diplomatic engagements with…

Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, have dismissed their expulsion from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, describing the party’s national convention in Ibadan as nothing more than a drunken social outing. Wike and Fayose’s reaction was conveyed on Saturday by Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the FCT Minister, who mocked the delegates, saying they travelled to Ibadan to begin their “Detty December” celebrations ahead of schedule. “They went to Ibadan to start their own Detty December in November,” Olayinka said in a statement. “When…

Two serving governors on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party have openly disowned the controversial expulsion of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike; former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose; and ex–National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu. Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang, and Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri, in separate statements on Saturday, said they were neither consulted nor part of the decision, insisting that the move was reckless and capable of deepening the crisis within the opposition party. The PDP had earlier expelled the trio at its national convention held in Ibadan, Oyo State,…

Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, on Saturday confirmed that he will formally defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, describing the move as a strategic step for the development of the state. Kefas disclosed this while inspecting the ongoing renovation of the Jolly Nyame Stadium, Jalingo, which has been selected as the venue for the defection rally expected to attract top political figures from across the country. “This transition is about the destiny of Taraba people,” the governor said during the visit. “On November 19, I will officially join…

Four security operatives, including two soldiers and two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, have been killed in a fresh ambush by terrorists in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State. The Nigerian Army confirmed the incident in a statement on Saturday by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Lt. Col. Appolonia Anele. Anele said troops of the 25 Task Force Brigade were returning from a routine patrol around Wajiroko in Azir Multe when insurgents opened heavy fire on their convoy near the fringes of the Sambisa Forest. The patrol team, led by the Commander of the 25 Brigade,…