Author: Platform Times Newspaper

Farmers in Dan Isa district of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, Zamfara State, are groaning under the weight of extortion as armed bandits now demand a total of N1.6 million from each village to allow farming activities this rainy season. According to Malam Hassan Yarima, the Ward Head of the district, the 35 villages under his jurisdiction are required to pay N800,000 to access farmlands for cultivation and another N800,000 during harvest, as a “security fee” demanded by a feared bandit leader, identified as Dan Sadiya. Yarima, who spoke to Daily Trust in a telephone interview, lamented the helplessness of…

In a sweeping disciplinary action aimed at sanitising Nigeria’s correctional system, the Federal Government has dismissed 15 officers and demoted 59 others over acts of gross misconduct and violations of service regulations. The Civil Defence, Correctional, Fire and Immigration Services Board (CDCFIB), which oversees disciplinary matters within the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS), approved the sanctions following a review of 224 cases of alleged misconduct. Spokesperson for the Correctional Service, Umar Abubakar, confirmed the development in a statement on Thursday, saying the decisions were reached after thorough investigations and in line with due process. He disclosed that the Board’s Disciplinary and…

The National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON) has announced a tentative fare of N8.5 million for the 2026 Hajj exercise, subject to final negotiations on service contracts. This was disclosed in a statement issued on Thursday by the Commission’s Assistant Director of Information and Publication, Fatima Sanda Usara, following a post-Hajj review meeting with Chairmen and Secretaries of State Pilgrims’ Welfare Boards in Abuja. The meeting, which focused on evaluating the 2025 Hajj operations and planning for the upcoming pilgrimage, also reaffirmed Nigeria’s retention of the 95,000 slots allocation from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for 2026. State allocations will…

…ALTON raises alarm over threat to national infrastructure A nationwide disruption of telecom services may be imminent as two major oil sector unions—the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association of Nigeria (NOGASA)—have reportedly blocked the supply of diesel to thousands of telecommunications sites operated by IHS Nigeria Limited. The development, which industry insiders say could lead to a telecom blackout, followed the unions’ decision to halt diesel loading at critical depots in Kaduna, Lagos, and Koko in Delta State, effectively grounding fuel supply to over 16,000 base transceiver stations…

The Federal Government has placed Fuji music icon, Wasiu Ayinde, popularly known as Kwam 1, on a temporary no-fly list following an altercation with ValueJet airline crew at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja. The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, issued the directive on Wednesday, citing gross violation of aviation safety protocols by both Kwam 1 and the pilot involved in the incident. The clash, which occurred on Tuesday, August 7, 2025, involved Kwam 1 allegedly obstructing a ValueJet aircraft from taxiing to the runway, an action Keyamo described as “totally unacceptable” and “akin to a hostage…

President Bola Tinubu has approved the implementation of pension increments and a minimum pension guarantee for retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS), following protests by the ex-servicemen in Abuja. The directive was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga. According to the statement, Tinubu also mandated the immediate rollout of free healthcare for low-income retirees nationwide, reinforcing his administration’s commitment to social welfare and security sector reform. The President’s decision followed a briefing he received from the Director General of the National Pension Commission…

The Federal Government has once again sounded the alarm over the increasing number of Nigerians embarking on perilous journeys to Libya in a desperate bid to reach Europe illegally, warning that the North African country remains a dangerous trap rather than a gateway to greener pastures. Chairman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, gave the stern warning during a media briefing on Tuesday, where she decried the growing wave of human trafficking and illegal migration despite repeated government interventions. “Libya is not an escape route; it is a death trap,” Dabiri-Erewa said emphatically. “People are still…

A newly recruited soldier has allegedly stabbed a police constable,  Aaron John to death during a violent altercation in Mayo-Goyi, a suburb of Jalingo, the Taraba State capital. The incident, which occurred around 9:00 p.m. on Monday, has sparked outrage among residents and further strained civil-military relations in the area. The deceased officer,  was reportedly responding to a distress call from community members over a dispute involving the soldier, Dauda Dedan, when the tragic confrontation ensued. According to the spokesperson of the Taraba State Police Command, SP James Lashen, Constable John attempted to intervene in the altercation, but the situation…

A 32-year-old man, Rasaq Gafar, has been arraigned before an Ibadan Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly threatening to kill Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke. The defendant was brought before Chief Magistrate Olabisi Ogunkanmi of the Iyaganku Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, on a three-count charge bordering on threat to life and conduct likely to breach public peace. According to the police prosecutor, Inspector Matthew Ojei, the alleged offence was committed on July 12, 2025, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital. Ojei told the court that Gafar had published threatening messages against the governor on his social media…

No fewer than 24,000 Nigerians have been reported missing by their families since 2015, according to data from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). María Toscano, Team Lead, Protection of Family Links at the ICRC, revealed this alarming figure on Tuesday during a media workshop held in Maiduguri, Borno State. She explained that most of the cases are linked to the Boko Haram insurgency and other conflicts in the North-East region. According to Toscano, Borno State alone accounts for nearly 9,000 of the 16,000 missing persons documented by the ICRC in the North-East, with Bama Local Government Area…