• The Controversial Advice: Hon. Abdulmalik Zubairu, representing the Maru/Bungudu Federal Constituency in Zamfara State, urged his constituents to use their savings to purchase firearms like AK-47s or AK-49s to defend themselves against bandits.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• • Catalyst for the Remarks: The lawmaker’s comments followed the tragic killing of four security personnel and the abduction of Nura Abdullahi, the Chairman of Bungudu Local Government Area.

  • Constitutional Stance: Acknowledging that arming residents is illegal, Zubairu defended his position by arguing that choosing an unconstitutional path to save innocent lives from ongoing killings is justifiable when faced with two difficult choices.

  • Government Efforts & Citizen Defense: While maintaining that President Bola Tinubu and Governor Dauda Lawal are trying their best to curb insecurity, he stressed that citizens must still take personal responsibility for safeguarding their communities.

  • Weapons and Registration: Arguing that bandits only have the upper hand due to superior firepower rather than numbers, the lawmaker suggested that communities could potentially register their acquired weapons with security authorities for self-defense purposes.

Real Madrid have reportedly slapped a £137 million price tag on Vinicius Junior as Arsenal weigh up a stunning swoop for the Brazilian star.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• • The Valuation: According to SPORT via Yahoo Sports, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez is holding firm on the £137 million asking price, even though the winger has entered the final year of his contract and talks have stalled.

  • Record Wages: talkSPORT reports that the Gunners are prepared to make Vinicius the highest-paid player in club history. The 26-year-old is seeking around £470,000 per week—nearly double his current Real Madrid salary—which would easily surpass Bukayo Saka’s £300,000-plus weekly earnings.

  • The Pitch: Securing the forward would shatter Arsenal’s transfer record. Vinicius brings an elite pedigree to the Emirates, having tallied 128 goals and 100 assists in 375 matches for Los Blancos, alongside a strong four-goal showing in five games at the summer FIFA World Cup.

  • Squad Plans: While Arsenal recently added Christos Tzolis and continue searching for attacking reinforcements before the window shuts, a deal for Vinicius would easily represent one of the largest financial commitments in the club’s history.

• Involvement of Security Personnel: Investigative documents revealed that a police inspector assigned to VIP escort duties at the Presidential Villa, Ahmed Ibrahim, allegedly became entangled with military officers and civilians suspected of plotting to overthrow President Bola Tinubu [cite: Fresh-details-have-emerged-on-how-a-police-inspector-attached-to-the-Presidential-Villa-allegedly-became-entangled-in-a-suspected-plot-by-military-officers-and-civilians-to-overthrow-the-administration-of-President-Bola-Tinubu., The-documents-obtained-by-Premium-Times-showed-that-the-alleged-plotters-considered-access-to-the-Villa-critical-to-the-success-of-their-plan-and-subsequently-contacted-a-serving-police-inspector-Ahmed-Ibrahim-who-was-attached-to-vip-escort-duties-at-the-seat-of-government.].....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

• • Legal Proceedings: Currently, 36 military officers are facing a General Court Martial, while six other defendants—including retired senior officers, Inspector Ibrahim, and civilians—are on trial before Justice Joyce Abdulmalik of the Federal High Court in Abuja [cite: The-revelations-come-as-36-serving-military-officers-are-facing-a-General-Court-Martial-in-Abuja-over-their-alleged-involvement-in-the-suspected-plot., Six-other- defendants-including-retired-military-officers-a-serving-police-inspector-and-civilians-are-separately-standing-trial-on-13-counts-before-Justice-Joyce-Abdulmalik-of-the-Federal-High-Court-in-Abuja.]. All defendants have pleaded not guilty.

  • Background and Funding: Investigators claim the conspiracy revived in 2025—after an earlier 2023 plan collapsed due to funding issues—with former Bayelsa State governor Timipre Sylva accused of channeling nearly ₦1 billion through a Bureau De Change operator to finance the operation [cite: Intelligence-reports-cited-by-the-newspaper-claimed-that-the-alleged-conspiracy-uncovered-in-september-2025-was-not-the-first-attempt-by-members-of-the-group-to-seize-power., That-alleged-plan-was-said-to-have-collapsed-because-of-inadequate-funding-and-logistical-difficulties., The-operation-was-allegedly-revived-in-2025-after-former-Bayelsa-State-governor-and-former-Minister-of-State-for-Petroleum-Resources-Timipre-Sylva-was-accused-of-transferring-almost-1-billion-in-several-tranches-through-a-Bureau-De-Change-operator-to-finance-the-plot.].

  The Police Inspector’s Role and Deception

  • The Scheme: According to statements attributed to Ibrahim, rather than reporting the plot, he conspired with a Julius Berger electrician, Zekeri Umoru, to trick the alleged mastermind, Colonel Mohammed Ma’aji, into believing they could facilitate access to the Villa while extracting money from him [cite: However-investigators-alleged-that-rather-than-immediately-reporting-the-approach-the-inspector-devised-a-scheme-to-convince-the-suspected-coup-plotters-that-he-could-help-them-gain-access-while-allegedly-collecting-money-from-them., Ibrahim-claimed-that-instead-of-genuinely-helping-the-suspected-conspirators-he-reached-an-agreement-with-Umoru-a-Julius-Berger-electrician-working-within-the-Presidential-Villa-to-deceive-Ma-aji-into-believing-that-access-could-be-arranged.].

  • Financial Extortion: Ibrahim stated that Ma’aji gifted him various cash amounts, wedding funds, and digital transfers, while the inspector also fabricated contacts and fake funding sources to secure additional money [cite: Ibrahim-told-investigators-that-Ma-aji-later-gave-him-money-on-different-occasions., The-inspector-said-he-later-introduced-Ma-aji-to-Umoru-during-a-meeting-at-Tiger-Bar-along-Airport-Road-in-Abuja., Ibrahim-also-claimed-that-he-fabricated-the-existence-of-a-man-identified-as-Sarkin-Malami-and-convinced-Ma-aji-that-the-supposed-contact-could-help-raise-money-for-the-operation-from-Sokoto-State.].

  • Villa Tours and Coded Language: Despite claiming actual penetration was impossible, Ibrahim admitted to escorting two major-generals (M.A. Usman and A.J. Ibrahim) through parts of the Presidential Villa at Ma’aji’s request. The network reportedly used a secret lexicon where “farmer” meant troops, “fertiliser” meant money, and “harvesting” represented overthrowing the government [cite: The-investigation-documents-also-revealed-a-series-of-code-words-allegedly-used-by-members-of-the-suspected-network., According-to-Ibrahim-s-statement-farmer-meant-troops-while-fertiliser-and-equipment-referred-to-money., Harvesting-allegedly-meant-overthrowing-the-government-while-crops-referred-to-authorities.].