Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Daud Olatunji The Akwa Ibom State Police Command has arrested three men following a disturbance allegedly linked to a masquerade activity along Mbak Akpan Ekpenyong in the state. The suspects were arrested on August 31, 2026, after the command received a distress call at about 5:52pm concerning the incident. The command said its operatives immediately mobilised to the area, where they restored normalcy and prevented the situation from escalating. According to the police, other participants at the scene fled upon sighting the officers, while masquerade regalia allegedly found in the possession of the three suspects were recovered and secured as…

Oluwanifemi Ibikunle The Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Waidi Shaibu, has charged 924 newly trained forest guards from Borno State to combine vigilance with professionalism and restraint as they take up responsibilities for securing forest areas and protecting surrounding communities. Shaibu gave the charge at the graduation ceremony of the guards, who underwent six weeks of intensive military training at the Nigerian Army’s 3 Division in Jos, Plateau State. Represented by the General Officer Commanding 3 Division and Commander, Operation Enduring Peace, Maj. Gen. Maxwell Dangana, the Army chief said the guards had a critical role to play in…

… Tramadol consignment from Pakistan worth N1.1bn intercepted in Lagos Grace Adeleke The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has intercepted more than 2.8 million opioid pills, over 5,000 kilogrammes of cannabis, methamphetamine and other illicit substances in coordinated operations across nine states. The week-long operations, carried out in Lagos, Adamawa, Ondo, Kaduna, Bauchi, Ekiti, Kogi, Taraba and Enugu states, also led to the arrest of several suspected drug traffickers and the dismantling of trafficking routes, according to the NDLEA. In Lagos, operatives at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport intercepted 966,200 tablets of Tramadol 225mg concealed among thrift trousers in a…

Daud Olatunji The Bursar of the National Open University of Nigeria, Mallam Nasiru Gusau Marafa, has been shot dead in Zamfara State. Marafa was reportedly killed on Sunday while returning from Gusau, the state capital, according to a statement issued by the university. The university’s Registrar and Secretary to Council, Oladipo Ajayi, announced the death on Sunday, describing it as sudden and untimely. Ajayi said the Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of the Governing Council, Management, Senate, staff and students of the university, mourned the death of the bursar. “According to information available to the University, Mallam Nasiru Gusau Marafa was reportedly…

…Urges EFCC to recover funds meant for 3.29m vulnerable households Mujeeb Akindoyin Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has called on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to investigate and prosecute those allegedly responsible for the failure to account for N33.75bn earmarked as cash transfers for poor and vulnerable Nigerians. Falana also urged the anti-graft agency to work with the Auditor-General for the Federation to recover the money if investigations establish that the funds were diverted. The legal practitioner, who is the Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond, made the demand in a…

Daud Olatunji Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency have arrested a convicted cocaine trafficker accused of masterminding drug shipments to Saudi Arabia after allegedly disguising himself as a herbal tea businessman. The suspect, identified as 34-year-old Dunu Bethel Ebubechukwu, was arrested during a sting operation at Article Market, opposite Trade Fair Market, in the Ojo area of Lagos, on Friday, September 4, 2026. His arrest followed the interception of 1.2kg of cocaine concealed in phone chargers at a courier company in Lagos on July 31. The consignment was allegedly destined for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The NDLEA said its…

…Says Obi, Atiku, others have been part of Nigeria’s political establishment By Daud Olatunji The 2023 Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has declared that none of the major politicians challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election has the capacity to transform Nigeria. Baba-Ahmed, who was the running mate to Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election, made the declaration while featuring on the MicOn Podcast on Saturday. He, however, said Tinubu should prepare to leave office at the end of his constitutionally allowed tenure, arguing that the president should not seek to extend his stay beyond two…

Daud Olatunji The Deputy Chief Whip of the House of Representatives and member representing Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency, Rt. Hon. Ibrahim Ayokunle Isiaka, has directed his political structure to mobilise over 48,000 supporters in the constituency for the victory of all All Progressives Congress candidates in the 2027 general elections. According to a statement  signed by the Office of  Special Duties to Isiaka, the Reps .member  gave the directive during an expanded stakeholders’ meeting in Abeokuta attended by voter mobilisers, party leaders, ward coordinators and grassroots supporters drawn from the 21 wards across Ifo/Ewekoro. The directive is expected to place the…

By: Bolaji Adeniji Ahead of the 2027 governorship election in Ogun State, a striking feature of the emerging contest is the unassailable electoral credibility of the APC candidate, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, fondly called YAYI. A contrasting reality however, is the inability of the opposition, to proffer a compelling option before the electorate. Rather than confront YAYI’s swashbuckling record of service and impeccable capacity, with an alternate record and competing ideas, the opposition is increasingly preoccupied with ludicrous noise around identity. This anomalous stance affirms the verdict about the paucity of plausible ideas within the opposition ranks and their…

….Demand better rehabilitation, emergency response, accessible healthcare, economic opportunities Daud Olatunji Stakeholders in the disability sector have called for urgent action to prevent spinal cord injuries and improve access to healthcare, rehabilitation, employment and social support for survivors. They made the call on Saturday at the commemoration of the 2026 Spinal Cord Injury International Awareness Day held at the JONAPWD House, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, Ogun State. The programme, themed “From Awareness to Action: A Decade of Progress and the Journey Ahead,” brought together spinal cord injury survivors, persons with disabilities, caregivers, government representatives, healthcare professionals, traditional leaders, advocates and other stakeholders.…