File photo used to illustrate story.

Two people including a toddler have been killed following an attack by suspected Fulani herdsmen in some communities in the Takum Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The communities are; Muji 1, Jenuwa Gida and Jenuwa Nyifiye.

File photo used to illustrate story. Guardian Nigeria
Muji 1 is less than 6 kilometres to the barracks of the Nigerian Army 93 Battalion in Takum while Jenuwa Gida and Nyifiye are less than 4 kilometres to the military facility.
A resident told SaharaReporters that the attackers invaded the communities on Monday night, killing and injuring the villagers.
He said, “They blocked Muji1 route (the route that leads to Bali LGA of Taraba State) around 9pm and operated till 10pm. They later attacked Jenuwa Gida community and Nyifiye around 10pm. Both communities are very close to the Army barracks in Takum. The crisis has been on for more than three months. It is carried out by armed Fulani herdsmen.
“Two people are confirmed dead, five others are receiving treatment in Takum General Hospital. That's the Local Government Area of retired General Theophilus Danjuma and the current Governor of the state (Darius Ishaku).
“A very small boy was killed in Jenuwa and a passenger in a commercial car going to Jalingo, the state capital from Takum.
“These Fulani bandits are camping in Bantaje village in Wukari LGA, Kungana village in Bali LGA, Zanbana in Donga LGA and Tose village in Takum LGA to attack Kuteb communities in Takum and Ussa LGA of Taraba State.”

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At least 12 persons have reportedly died in a violent clash between bandits and vigilantes in Plateau State, SaharaReporters has learnt.
Local sources informed that the bandits stormed Zak, a community in the Wase Local Government Area on a mission to sack the community.

They were however resisted by vigilante operatives in the area.
"The bandits came to our village around 9am on Sunday, and were engaged by battle-ready vigilante men who killed nine of them. Sadly three vigilantes also died in the process,” a local source confirmed. 
The Spokesperson of Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) in the state, Major Ishaku Takwa, also confirmed the encounter but he could not give the casualty figures.
He said, “The troops repelled the attack and moved to the Gajin Bashar community to fight bandits who also stormed the area.”
Bandits had initially given quit notices to residents of Zak, Sabon Zama, Gindin Dutse, Anguwan Tsohon Soldier, Anguwan Yuhana and Anguwan Mangu villages of Wase to vacate or face terror attacks.
SaharaReporters had on June 30 rpeorted that there was an uneasy calm at Wase Local Government Area following the expiration of a 5-day quit notice served on 10 communities in the council to relocate or face dire consequences by bandits.
A resident who spoke to SaharaReporters on condition of anonymity had confirmed that the Islamic terrorists also called “bandits” had visited some of the communities over the weekend to issue the ultimatum.
“They also threatened to kill anyone who disobeyed the order,” the source said.
He had said that residents of the affected villages and communities since Wednesday started leaving their homes before the deadline elapsed.
Efforts made by SaharaReporters to get the reaction of the State Police Command were unsuccessful as the Command's spokesman, DSP Alfred Alabo, could not be reached on the telephone.

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Rabiu Kwankwaso, the presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) has said Peter Obi, his counterpart in the Labour Party, is being misled by someone into taking decisions that will benefit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar. 
The former Kano governor described the person as a member of the PDP who is loyal to the party but pushing Obi not to accept to be his (Kwankwaso's) running mate in the planned alliance between the NNPP and Labour Party. 

According to him, having Peter Obi as the presidential candidate in the alliance will give Atiku bloc votes in the North as Northerners will rather vote for A northerner, who they will see as one of theirs, than Obi or any other southeasterner, especially with the current agitation for the state of Biafra in the South-East. 
There has been pressure on the NNPP and the Labour Party to work together to produce a presidential candidate between them for the 2023 presidential election. Kwankwaso and the presidential candidate of the Labour Party have admitted that the parties have held talks, but the bone of contention is that the two candidates want to be the presidential candidate in the arrangement.
In an interview with Channels TV on Sunday, Kwankwanso urged Obi to be wary of such a person, whom he said had been expressing his views on social media. 
When asked about the planned alliance between Kwankwaso's NNPP and the Labour Party, the former Kano governor said, "I think that it will happen but I believe also that there are some challenges that we are having, especially from the side of the Labour Party itself because there are so many influences; some on their side, positive, but even the negative side.
"We have a situation today where there are some people who are in other parties, who are also influencing the decision of the party which I believe is not good for the party. 
"I was just reading on social media and even people very close to the party that are... The presidential candidate is very close to one of the leaders of the PDP which we are trying to verify but I think the source is very genuine, that is, contacts with him while he is in a party, PDP, supporting the candidature of the presidential candidate from the North in that particular party and of course saying that the presidency must go to the South in the other party, that is, in our alliance and that is really to weaken our party."
Speaking further on whether it is the Labour Party or the NNPP that voters will be encouraged to vote for in the 2023 presidential election as it is too late to have a merger between the parties, Kwankwanso noted, "I believe so many modalities can be worked out to work together, it is just a matter of getting the right calibre of people to sit down and look at the situation as it is. 
"Now, you see, the main issue as it stands today is the issue of who becomes the president, who becomes the vice president and I believe this is the time really to advise, especially those who are positively behind the candidate of the Labour Party. 
"For me, I have seen an opportunity for the South-East to be relevant in the next dispensation. In PDP, they are completely out and so also in the APC (All Progressives Congress). The only option now is NNPP."
He further advised that "the leaders at the level should think positively so that this merger (alliance) can work. They should avoid talking to people. 
"You know, in this part of the country, we have at least the person people are talking about on social media and so on and so forth, who pretends to be very close to Peter Obi himself while everybody knows he has a political party. He is promoting the person in that political party in the PDP, yet pretending to say look, we want Presidency to come to the South-East."
Kwankwanso, however, refused to mention the name of the person, saying, "We don't have to go into the details now but the details will come out very soon." 
But he advised Obi to be concerned because "he himself believes that he is very close to him and he is misleading him. He is misleading the Labour Party and so on and so forth". 
He said Northern voters will choose to vote for a Northerner if they have to choose between a Northerner and a southerner. 

"The idea is if the marriage works, for example, with Obi as the Presidential candidate, the implication is his candidate in the PDP will be the biggest beneficiary because the North today... You see, the way we operate politically in this country, is not very clear to many people. Fortunately, the northern voters have always voted their own opinion and it is hardly influenced by any political elite or anybody you can think of," he added. 
Kwankwanso earlier described southeastern Nigerians as good business people but poor in politics.
The former Kano governor last weekend said the people of the South-East are well talented but need to learn politics, adding that “in politics, they are at the bottom line”.
Kwankwaso stated this in Gombe State during a visit to Gombe State to inaugurate the state office of NNPP and meet with elected members of the party on Saturday.
On the choice of his running mate, Kwankwaso had said “we have options in the NNPP in the South to pick a good vice president and one of them is the Labour Party man you are talking about.”
He had previously noted that his party had been in talks with the Labour Party for a possible merger but that the decision on who would emerge as the presidential candidate between him and Obi had hindered the progress of the talks.
“From the discussion with Labour Party, the main issue was who becomes the president if the parties merge.
“At the end of the day, some of our representatives thought that there should be criteria in terms of age, qualification, offices held, performance and so on.

“Of course, the other side wouldn’t want that. Most of the people from there believe that presidency has to go there (South-East).
“If now I decide to be vice presidential candidate to anybody in this country; NNPP will collapse because the party is based on what we have built in the last 30 years.
“I served for 17 years as a civil servant; we are talking of 47 years of very serious hard work that is what is rarely holding NNPP now,” he had said.

According to Kwankwaso, the best option left for the South-East is to partner with NNPP, describing it as “a golden opportunity”.
“If they lose it, it will be a disaster,” he added.
 
 

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Zenith Bank Plc has emerged as the Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria in the World Finance Banking Awards 2022, retaining the award for a second consecutive year. The bank was also named as the Best Corporate Governance Bank, Nigeria in the World Finance Corporate Governance Awards 2022.

 

The awards, which were presented to the Group Managing Director/Chief Executive of Zenith Bank Plc, Mr. Ebenener Onyeagwu at the London Stock Exchangeyesterday, were in recognition of the bank’s ability to embrace digital transformation and best-in-class sustainability and corporate governance practices, leading to a stellar business performance in a difficult economic climate.

Commenting on the double recognition, Onyeagwu said that: "These awards reflect our strong business fundamentals, resilience and ability to adapt to the ever-changing dynamics of the market through our innovative solutions, as well as our commitment to global best practices. As a member and signatory to various domestic and international sustainability frameworks including the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) and the Central Bank of Nigeria Sustainable Banking Principles, we continue to support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by creating value for ourshareholders, customers, clients, investors, communitiesand the environment through our practices, operations and investments." 

 

He dedicated the awards to the Founder and Group Chairman, Jim Ovia, CON, for his pioneering role in building the structures and laying the foundation for an enduring and very successful institution; the Board for the outstanding leadership they provide; the staff for their commitment and dedication; and the bank’s customers for making Zenith Bank their preferred financial Institution.

 

World Finance is a leading international magazine providing comprehensive coverage and analysis of the financial industry, international business and the global economy. The editorial combines award-winning reportage, covering a broad range of topics from banking and insurance to wealth management and infrastructure investment, with contributions from some of the world’s most well-respected economists and theorists as well as consultants in government think tanks and the World Economic Forum.

 

Zenith Bank's track record of excellent performance has continued to earn the brand numerous awards, with these latest accolades coming on the heels of several recognitions including being voted as Best Bank in Nigeria, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, in the Global Finance World's Best Banks Awards; Best in Corporate Governance 'Financial Services' Africa, for three consecutive years from 2020 to 2022, by the Ethical Boardroom; Best Commercial Bank, Nigeria and Best Innovation In Retail Banking, Nigeria in the International Banker 2022 Banking Awards; and Bank of the Year (Nigeria) in The Banker's Bank of the Year Awards 2020.Also, the Bank emerged as the Most Valuable Banking Brand in Nigeria in the Banker Magazine Top 500 Banking Brands 2020 and 2021, Number One Bank in Nigeria by Tier-1 Capital in the "2021 Top 1000 World Banks" Ranking by The Banker Magazine and the Retail Bank of the year at the BusinessDay Banks and Other Financial Institutions (BOFI) Awards 2020 and 2021.

 

Similarly, Zenith Bank was honoured as Bank of the Decade (People's Choice) at the ThisDay Awards 2020 and emerged winner in four categories at the Sustainability, Enterprise, and Responsibility (SERAS) Awards 2021, carting home the awards for "Best Company in Reporting and Transparency", "Best Company in Infrastructure Development", "Best Company in Gender Equality and Women Empowerment", and the coveted "Most Responsible Organisation in Africa.

 

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The Special Counsel to Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Aloy Ejimakor, has said lack of empathy by security personnel and lack of regional security are the reasons for persistent insecurity in the South-East states.
He lamented that the people from outside the region enforcing security were not committed to ending the killings.

Ejimakor disclosed this in a statement he signed and issued on Monday.
The statement reads, “Before post-colonial Nigeria transformed into its current unitary state, while still posturing as a federation, regional security was largely within the purview of the respective regions, not the federal government. And it worked well.
"This arrangement was not by chance but by well-considered design. Despite their many failings, Nigeria’s fathers and British colonialists knew that you couldn’t secure a people within their region without their participation. Even the British Empire knew that it couldn’t secure colonial Nigeria without the participation of Nigerians in vast numbers.
“In a diverse federation of equals (or even near-equals or unequal), Northern Nigerians shouldn’t be the ones exclusively or dominantly securing Western or Eastern Nigeria, and vice versa. When you do that, it becomes counter-intuitive to security and begins to look like an aggressive occupation or conquest. It also destroys the neutrality of the security personnel and engenders ethnic profiling and extrajudicial killings.
“Truth be told, massacres won’t happen if there’s no premeditation, driven by sectarian impulses and lack of empathy customarily exhibited by security personnel when it comes to law enforcement outside their regions, even when the targets of such law enforcement are unarmed and amenable to arrest.
“The inherent dangers of an imbalanced security leadership and formations is the main reason the framers of the 1999 Constitution enacted Section 217(3), which states that ‘the composition of the officer corps and other ranks of the Armed Forces of the Federation shall reflect the federal character of Nigeria’.
“In plain terms, it means that no region or tribe shall be excluded from securing Nigeria or any part thereof, especially its own part.”
 

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The Parameters of Democratic Rule in Nigeria: How Well Has Nigeria Ticked the Boxes?
 
 
According to the United Nations Development Programme Office, there are nine (9) core characteristics of democratic rule, to wit:
 
(i)      Participation                   (ii)     Rule of Law                   (iii)    Transparency
(iv)    Responsiveness     (v)     Consensus            (vi)    Orientation
(vii)   Equity                   (viii)  Effectiveness; and (ix)   Efficiency.
1.1           PARTICIPATION:
The idea of popular participation is crucial to both democratization and development. It can be considered as one of the determinants of democratic practice. Popular participation is the empowerment of the people to involve themselves in the regulating structures and designing policies and programmes that serve the interest of all and contribute optimally to the development process. How well has Nigeria ticked this box of popular participation since the inception of democratic rule in 1999? The starting point would be empowerment of the masses in terms of qualitative basic needs. Food, shelter, clothing, education and secured access to health care are important for participation in the democratization process, as you cannot pauperize a citizen and turn round to preach democracy and human righs to him. This was the reason the June 12, 1993 General Elections recorded high participation as the electorate saw the prospects of a better life with the election of Chief M.K.O Abiola as president. In the absence of food, shelter and other basic needs, the electorates will sell their votes on the day of election and make mincemeat of quality participation in the democratization process, as happened in Ekiti State recently. In that kind of process, democracy has lost its value.

 
3.2     RULE OF LAW:
 
The difference between tyranny, dictatorship and democracy in my view is the regulatory effect of law on society. The rule of law is the legal principle that law should govern a nation as opposed to the State being subject to the caprices of a few powerful individuals. The rule of law refers to the supremacy of the law particularly as a constraint upon the behaviour including the behaviour of government officials. In this sense, the rule of law stands as a contrast to autocracy, dictatorship or oligarchy where the rulers are held high above the law. It is in this wise that the learned jurist, Obaseki JSC (as he then was), in the case of Governor of Lagos State v Ojukwu(1986) NWLR (part 18) 621, made the following remarks:
‘The Nigerian constitution is founded on the rule of law the primary meaning of which is that everything must be done according to law. It also means that government should be conducted within the framework of recognised rules and principles which restrict discretionary power which Coke colourfully spoke of as ‘golden and straight wand of law as opposed to the uncertain and crooked cord of discretion.’
 
How good does Nigeria tick this box of the rule of law in Nigeria’s democratization process? The starting point would be that the government of the day acquired power by law and as such should respect the laws of the land. Afortiori, it should also govern according to law, in order to instill a sense of lawfulness in the citizens. A situation where the executive arm of government intimidates and muscles the judiciary does not stand well with the rule of law. Nobody is above the law and it falls back on the citizens of this country to ensure that the people whom they elect to power are accountable or kicked out at the next elections. This indeed is the power of democracy as, if the votes count, election should be a weapon in the hands of the masses to hold leaders to account.
 
 RESPECT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS
 
The United Nations General Assembly High level Meeting on the Rule of Law, held on September 24, 2010, remarked as follows:
 
 
‘Human rights, the rule of law and democracy are interlinked and mutually reinforcing and that they belong to the universal and indivisible core values and principles of the United Nations.’ Indeed, government responsiveness to the interests and needs of the greatest number of citizens is strictly associated with the capacity of democratic institutions and processes to bolster the dimensions of rights, equality and accountability.’
 
 
 We make bold to say that nobody wants to live in a society where the rule of law gives way to the rule of tyranny, brutality and flagrant contravention of human rights. This is why we speak loudly and fight against executive lawlessness, contravention of the right to life, dignity of the person, the right to personal liberty, right to freedom of expression, freedom of religion and expression, the right not to be discriminated against by reason of tribe and religion, etc.
 
 
3.3.    TRANSPARENCY:
 
According to the IMF, transparency in government includes the following:
 
i.                                Clarity of the structures and functions of government, responsibilities within government and relations within government and the rest of the economy.
ii.                             Public availability of comprehensive information on the public sector, financial stocks and flows published at specified times.
iii.                           Public availability of information on how budgets are prepared and executed, and minimum content of budget and financial reports.
iv.                           Financial data, meeting and accepted quality standards and subjected to independent audit scrutiny.
 
As a core value of democratic rule, therefore, transparency means unfettered access by the public to timely and reliable information on decisions and performance in the public sector. Where such information is regarded as ‘classified’ or ‘top secrets’ and freedom of the press or freedom of expression is censored as was the case with the recent Twitter ban in Nigeria, there is little transparency which is a core value of democratic rule. Thankfully, advances in information and communication technology have provided a revolution that is facilitating debate and timely access to information on governance in Nigeria. In this area, the courts are urged to adopt a more liberal approach in the determination of cases premised upon the Freedom of Information Act, in order to remove governance from the realm of secrecy. In the present dispensation, it is not acceptable that the Independent National Electoral Commission and the political parties have made nonsense of the Electoral Act by hoarding information concerning candidates of the political parties and activities relating to the primary elections and the main elections.
3.4     RESPONSIVENESS:
 
A key characteristic of democratic rule is the continuing responsiveness of the government to the preferences of its citizens. Robert Dahl, in his book, Polyarchy, stated that: ‘the ability of citizens to influence public policy is the bottom line of democratic government. While a few would expect or even desire a perfect correspondence between majority preference and government policy, the nature of the connection between what the citizens want and what government does is a central consideration in evaluating the quality of democratic governance.’
 
The question to ask therefore, is whether there is synergy between what Nigerians want and what the government does? The present shut down of the campuses following the breakdown of entente between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities shows little responsiveness on the part of the Federal government. As we commemorate this democracy day, I hereby call on the Federal Government to deploy her best resources to ensure that our children on whom the burden of leading this country will rest return to the campuses.
 
3.5     CONSENSUS:
 
The social contract theorist, Thomas Hobbes, in his book, Leviathan, remarked as follows:
 
‘A common wealth is said to be instituted when a multitude of men do agree and covenant, everyone with everyone, that to whatsoever man or assembly of men, shall be given by the  major part, the right to present the present of them all, that is to say to be their representative; everyone as well as he that voted for it, shall authorize all the actions and judgment of that man, or assembly of men in the same manner as if they were his own, to the end to live peaceably among themselves and be protected against other men.’
 
 
Flowing from the above, there is no doubt that pluralism but consensus is a core element of democratic rule. And it is not the type of consensus being adopted by the political parties, which involves totalitarianism and authoritarian leadership, where a godfather sits in his house to dictate to the rest members of the party. Nothing highlights this better than the present crisis rocking the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, which set up a special committee to choose the running mate for its presidential candidate. It has since been reported that the committee voted by an overwhelming majority for a particular candidate but the presidential candidate decided to pick a different person apart from the one picked through popular vote. And this has led to some kind of rancor in the party capable of scattering the little gains it had made in the smooth organization of its presidential primary election as compared to the ruling party.
 
Once democracy is devoid of the input of the people to reflect their will one way or the other, it cannot be said to be democratic practice to be compared with the June 12 election.

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The apex Igbo socio-cultural group, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, has asked the Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, to forget votes in the South-East region if he attempts to drop Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as his running mate.
There are speculations that Atiku is facing pressures from governors to drop Okowa and replace him with his Rivers State counterpart, Nyesom Wike.

Wike’s loyalists are also said to be making the same demand as the only way to make room for peace in the party.
However, in a statement on Tuesday by the Ohanaeze Ndigbo Youth Council Worldwide, OYC, they said Atiku should drop Okowa to his own peril.
The statement signed by the National President of OYC, Okwu Nnabuike and the Secretary, Obinna Achionye said any attempt to replace Okowa would backfire.
It said, “There is no need to repeat that we expected both the PDP and the APC to zone their presidential tickets to the South-East, but that did not happen.
“Though this has been overtaken by events, the only consolation we have is the choice of Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as running mate to Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, considering that Okowa is a true Igbo son.
“Having said this, how could anyone wake up and think of replacing Okowa with Wike? As much as we know that Atiku reserves the right to choose whoever he wills as his running mate, we also have the right to vote according to our desire.”
“And that desire is clear- that the PDP would not get one vote from Igbo land should they field Wike, because this is a man who disowned Ndigbo. He said he is not one of us and this is payback time, we also do not know him. Should the PDP make the mistake of pairing him with Atiku, the PDP will be roundly rejected during the presidential election,” the Ohanaeze youths warned.
The OYC added that “with the new Electoral Act, those who constituted themselves into emperors are going to be disgraced during the polls. The time for bogus fake results is over, so nobody should be deceived.”

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Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu

The Governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu, has insisted that the Nigerian government was too quick to blame the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists for the killing of worshippers at the St Francis Catholic Church in Owo town when other groups could have been responsible.
According to Akeredolu during an interview on Channels TV on Monday, Fulani herdsmen, bandits and ISWAP work together inside Ondo State forests where they plan their attacks and it is hard to differentiate their heinous operations in Ondo State except there is concrete evidence.

Ondo Governor Rotimi Akeredolu
The governor said, “I reacted to that almost immediately because I asked what evidence they have; it is important to let us know because the security agencies were too quick to jump to the conclusion that it was done by ISWAP.
“I expect that if ISWAP had done this all this while, they would have come out and owned up but some of us have our fears that it is not ISWAP and we do not agree with that position.”
Akeredolu reiterated that Ondo State had faced attacks from bandits, Fulani herdsmen and the ISWAP operating from its forests and so they could not be separated on which group carried out the Owo attack except there was concrete evidence.
“But whatever it is, we stand by the position that it’s a trilogy that is operating in our forests and causing havoc, we just have Fulani herdsmen right in front, followed by these bandits, and again ISWAP; so, the three of them work together and they work separately.”
“So, we are not people who will buy the idea that maybe it is ISWAP, or bandits, or Fulani herdsmen; we have faced terrorism in Ondo State from the three,” he stated.
“So, I don’t know how you want to separate them except you have concrete evidence.”
Speaking further He said security agencies are still on the trail of the terrorists as no headway as being made yet.
He also said the Amotekun only recovered the vehicle and telephones used by the perpetrators which had been handed over to the Department of State Services.
The governor said, “We are still on the track of the perpetrators and we are yet to make serious headway and that’s for many reasons; these people usually disappear into our forests and from there migrate to other states and a number of times, it is usually difficult for competent hands in the security to pursue them to other states other than their own area of operation. We are still on their trail and hopefully we will still get them.
“I listened to the Commander of Amotekun and there was no time he made categorical statement; what he said was very clear, that they were on the trail of the perpetrators and they virtually got one of the vehicles they used and some telephones which have been handed over to the DSS for analysis and they know what to do with the telephone and who to contact and screen the phones.
“This is the best we have for now and there was never a time they said they made arrest; it was very clear as to what happened that they were still on the trail.”

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The Parish Priest of St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo local government area in Ondo State, Rev. Fr. Vincent Anadi, has said the church still has victims of the June 5 terrorists’ attack and killings receiving treatment at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, Oyo State, and other top hospitals adding that no one was abandoned.
The cleric stated this while reacting to some claims on social media that the victims were neglected.

He said, “All victims received varying degrees of assistance and financial support from the Church and the Government. The church provided caskets through the diocese except for those who had other preferences and each of the families of the deceased received financial support for funeral arrangements. The costs of drugs were also taken care of and none of the victims paid out of their pocket for medical attention as soon as the church got involved.
“Asides from following up with victims on their treatment, several financial support has also been given to them (directly or redirected from the diocese, the Olowo or the Government), therefore no one can claim they have been abandoned either by the Church, the Government or other stakeholders.
“We still have victims in the hospital being attended to at UCH Ibadan, UNIMED Teaching hospital Akure, St. Louis Hospital Owo and Federal Medical Centre Owo all under the care of the government and the church with the support of stakeholders.
“As for those who wish to profit from the suffering of others; we urge you to have a rethink and learn to use social media for good.”
SaharaReporters earlier reported that suspected terrorists attacked the church in Ondo State, with 40 persons killed while over 60 others suffered various degrees of injuries during the attack.
The incident was said to have occurred at St Francis Catholic Church, Owa-luwa Street, in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State.

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File Photo

Barely a day after some unknown hoodlums attempted to burn down the Bauchi State House of Assembly, another set of hoodlums on Monday attacked the lawmakers in their guest house and smashed their cars and windows of the houses.

The hoodlums, who were said to be about 50, stormed the guest house where the lawmakers were holding a meeting on Sir Kashim Road, a few meters away from the Government House and tried to chase them away.

File Photo

This was confirmed by one of the lawmakers, Ado Wakili, representing Burra Constituency in the Ningi LGA when he spoke with Nigerian Tribune, stating that he was injured during the attack.

He said, "We were inside having a meeting when we suddenly heard noises and banging at the gate. As we rushed out to see what was happening, the hoodlums rushed in holding guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

“All of us scampered for safety and in the process; many of us including me were injured as you can see on my face; just below my eyes. They really turned everything upside down. By the time we came out, they had smashed all our cars and the windows of the house.”

Another lawmaker, Kawuwa Shehu Damina, described the incident as condemnable and suspected to be related to politics.

He said, “In a situation like this, violence cannot solve the problem, it will only aggravate it. All that is required is for us to sit down and dialogue in order to have a solution to the problem. It is simply a misunderstanding among members of the House.”

The security guard of the guest house also told newsmen that the hoodlums attacked the house with different dangerous weapons.

He said, “We all had to run for our dear lives. That was how they gained entrance into the building and did the damage.”

 

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The Lagos State Government has sealed a private school, Redeemer’s Nursery and Primary School, Ogba, Lagos State, over the death of a five-year-old pupil.

Chidera Eze, a five-year-old pupil of the Redeemer's Nursery and Primary School in Ogba, Lagos State died in May during a swimming session.

The pupil was said to have drowned during a swimming lesson organised by the school at the Ivory Health Club in the Ikeja axis of the state.

Eze and his colleagues were said to have been playing close to the pool during the training when he suddenly slipped into it.

However, the Commissioner for Education, Folasade Adefisayo on Monday in a statement titled, “Lagos State Shuts Redeemers Nursery and Primary School announced that the school had been shut down.

According to the commissioner, the school is yet to complete its registration.

The commissioner said, “The school will remain closed, pending an administrative investigation of its operations and procedures as well as the conduct of its officials – in line with schools’ safety standards and guidelines.     

“The investigation is sequel to the death of a five-year-old pupil, who is suspected to have drowned during a swimming lesson while in the custody of the school.

“The police are investigating the matter. A preliminary probe by the Office of Education Quality Assurance of the Ministry has shown that the Redeemers Nursery and Primary School, Ogba, is yet to conclude its registration and is, therefore, not yet an approved school.

“The Ministry is concerned about the safety of the pupils, hence the need for intervention. The school will remain closed until all the required approval processes are concluded. Parents are advised to note the closure and wait for the conclusion of the administrative investigation.”

 

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The All Progressives Congress House of Representatives candidate in the Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency, Lanre A. Sanusi says he was not arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). 

 

A source had told SaharaReporters that Sanusi was grilled by the anti-graft agency following a petition against him by a logistics company, 4runner Limited.

He was also said to have allegedly diverted COVID-19 materials, hand sanitisers and face masks worth millions of dollars from Dallas City Government Hospital in the United States with the aid of two of his friends who were truck drivers and in charge of the materials.

 

“While all this process was ongoing, the bill of charge accrued to $33,000.00 (Thirty Thousand American Dollars) as agreed sum that Mr. Lanre Sanusi would pay 4runner Limited through Mr Femi Dada. The breakdown of which was agreed to by both parties is on WhatsApp chat. All appeared to be well, containers were at the loading location, drivers too were available. We started loading the materials with Mr. Lanre Sanusi also assisting as every step being taken was carried out in his presence.

 

“He was physically involved all along till after two containers were fully loaded and moved to the port. Things began to heat up when after the loaded container left the United States of America for Lagos- Nigeria and Lanre was nowhere to be found. We made frantic efforts to reach him through all means available but it was to no avail. For days, our calls were not returned, chats sent to him were read and not replied to. We became impatient and frustrated as the company’s reputation was being dragged into the mud. Our capital was also tied down as we have expended funds on this project, only for Lanre to abandon the project and disappear into thin air after we had rendered the service, he engaged us for.

 

“Monetary commitment paid to us was even by his friend, Adebayo Godson ($1,700.00 USD). At a time, we went confrontational with him but yielded no positive outcome. Subsequently, a request for payment was sent to Mr. Lanre Sanusi as well as invoice to properly demand payment of the service rendered. (The copy of both herein is attached as AppendixC). All this was done to ensure we recoup the capital and to know if he wished to continue with the project or otherwise.

 

“Consequently, Mr. Lanre Sanusi's fraudulent, deceitful activity, unprofessional attitude and misrepresentation of fact on the whole project led to us carry out a background check of him amid investigate reasons why he abandoned the project midway, breached his agreement with us and unfortunately put our reputation and relationship with foreign contacts in jeopardy. Alas, our findings and discovery were very disturbing and alarming. We got to know that Mr. Lanre Sanusi fraudulently misrepresented facts about the project to us which is a criminal offence in Nigeria where our company is situated.

 

“The Covid-19 materials, hand sanitisers and face masks worth millions of dollars were actually diverted from Dallas City Government Hospital in the United States with the aid of two of his friends who are truck drivers and in charge of the materials.

 

“It should interest you to know that not only did Lanre abandon the materials shipped and the ones due to be shipped to Nigeria as he was campaigning to be a House of Representatives Member, representing Amuwo Odofin Federal Constituency because his intention was to use it as campaign souvenirs, he intentionally set fire on the other materials; that is, those he had no capacity to ship to Nigeria. (Picture of the burnt materials is hereby attached as Appendix D). Reason for this act was because he got information that Covid-19 protocols in Nigeria have been relaxed and the uses of such materials as election souvenirs will not be much appreciated. This made him to discontinue the project without proper notice and bill of settlement.

 

“Our initial agreed invoice was $33,000.00 USD (Thirty-Three Thousand American Dollars) but the huge demurrage and other service charges on the 3rd and 4th containers, coupled with the high exchange rate in Nigeria, the bill of charges are at present $51, 870.00 USD (Fifty-One Thousand, Eight Hundred and Seventy American Dollar),” the petition had read.

 

Responding in a letter sent to the Editor of SaharaReporters by his lawyer, Adeyinka Olumide-Fusika, the politician said he wasn’t arrested by the EFCC.

 

He also denied diverting COVID-19 materials meant for Dallas City Government Hospital in the United States as alleged in the petition.

 

“Contrary to what you published, my client was at no time arrested by the EFCC or any other law enforcement agency, whether in Nigeria or abroad, and whether on complaint alleged in your publication or any other,” he said.

 

“Given the season we are in, you should expect that your hugely popular online news medium (like other widely-read news publications) will be targeted for use by politicians, especially of the desperate and unscrupulous class, which in bidding to undo their opponents. 

 

“My client continues to follow and wish otherwise well-intentioned publication well.” 

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The Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has condemned in the strongest terms, what it described as “genocide and ethnic cleansing” by the Nigerian Army in Nko Obubara community in Cross River State.
Recall that few days ago, troops of the Nigerian Army drafted from Edor Barracks in Ikom, Cross River State to contain the communal conflict between the people of Nko Community in Yakurr Local Government Area and Onyadama Community in Abi Local Government Area reportedly opened fire on residents, killing at least five persons while many others were reported missing.

A former aide to President Muhammadu Buhari, Okoi Obono-Obla, in reaction to the incident, had told the Chief of Army Staff, Faruk Yahaya, to call his men to order, as youths went on rampage over the killing.
Reacting to the incident in a statement by its spokesperson, Emma Powerful, IPOB berated the Army Chief’s narrative of the incident, saying he narrated the usual falsehood to the uninformed Nigerians and their international allies.
In the statement on Monday, IPOB said, “Having murdered the innocent and helpless Nko Obubara community in cold blood, the army chief went on television to defend the trigger-happy soldiers.
“IPOB is raising alarm over these constant killings going on in Biafra territories of the South-East and South-South. The International Community must not turn a blind eyes on these continuous State sponsored killings of Biafrans in their homes because Biafrans will change in an unimaginable way that will affect the whole world.
“We call on Human Rights watch, United Nations Human Rights Council, United Nations human rights commission to quick intervene into this ethnic depopulation agenda and all the arms of Human and People's Right to break their silence over the ongoing silent genocide in our land.
“The indigenes and the eye witnesses from the affected communities who have lost their love ones to the hands of murderous Nigeria terrorist Army are the only ones who truthfully give account of the incidence not Army professional disinformation propaganda machine.
“These Communities should be visited for accurate and truthful account of the atrocities being committed on them by the army for adequate compensation made to the affected families. The governor of Cross Rivers State must ensure that the ethnic cleansing agenda must stop because we are sure he is dancing to the tune of Fulani terrorists government to eliminate his people; shame on you.
“Our people must come together and rise up against this injustice and deliberate depopulation agenda by physical murder, displacement of our villagers and indigenous people, destruction of our means of livelihood, cash crops and livestock to ensure that we don't return after being chased away from our land by the Army of occupation.
“The Nigerian government and its soldiers are the enemies of our land and people; therefore we must join hands and our voices together to rescue our land and ask them to leave us alone.”
SaharaReporters had reported how Nigerian soldiers also opened fire on residents of some communities in Ogbaru and Nnewi South local government areas of Anambra State a few days ago, killing dozens of persons, mostly youths.

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Multiple people were reportedly shot dead as gunfire erupted near a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb in the United States.

According to officials, a gunman began firing from the roof of a retail store into the parade below just minutes after the celebrations began.

A viral video on social media shows parade participants suddenly disappearing in panic as gunfire erupted in the streets of Highland Park, an affluent suburban city.

Families were seen sitting on a sidewalk watching the parade. In the next frame, they are seen leaping up from the ground and running, and a voice yelling "gunshots" can be heard in the background. The event was immediately cancelled due to this incident.

Witnesses told the Chicago Sun Times they saw at least five people lying on the ground in pools of blood and another under a blanket

Illinois Rep. Bob Morgan also confirmed via his Twitter handle Monday that he was at the parade and there were multiple injuries.

“For those unaware, there was a shooting at the Highland Park Parade. I cancelled because there have been multiple injuries. Please stay out of the area, stay safe, and please pray for those injured”, he wrote.

Highland Park Police responded to the shooting incident in downtown Highland Park.

“Fourth Fest has been cancelled. Please avoid downtown Highland Park. More information will be shared as it becomes available”, tweeted Nancy Rotering, Mayor of Highland Park.

Illinois Governor JB Pritzker also tweeted: “My staff and I are closely monitoring the situation in Highland Park. State police are on the scene and we have made all state resources available to the community. We will continue working with local officials to help those affected.”

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Some children who were part of the people rescued from the basement of a church, Whole Bible Believers Church, in the Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State on Monday declined to follow their parents home.

SaharaReporters had reported that the 77 people including 23 children and 52 adults were found in an underground apartment of the church during the weekend.

They were allegedly kidnapped and kept in the church.

While being paraded at the police headquarters, Akure on Saturday, the pastor in charge of the church, David Anifowose, had said he received the instruction from God that they should camp in the church until his second coming.

“I was the one that received the instruction from God that the people of the church can in the church and wait for his second coming. And my members were waiting for the second coming of Jesus when the policemen invaded the church and arrested us,” he had said.

However, the children refused to follow their parents after they were handed over to them by police command at the state headquarters in Igbatoro.

The children were said to have insisted that they would not leave the station until the arrested pastor and others were freed.

While lamenting that the children had been hypnotised with what they described as black magic, the parents maintained that the victims should be thoroughly examined psychologically.

A father of one of the victims said 21-year-old daughter, identified as Priscilla, had refused to eat since Saturday claiming that the pastor must be released.

The Police Public Relations Officer in the State, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the development.

She said, “Despite all our attempts and placation some of the victims refused to go home, saying there were going to stay here. We have a child who said she will follow the Lord and not her parents.

“She said she was okay staying within the police compound since their pastor is still here.

“We are trying to work out a modality on how the Ministry of Women Affairs in the state can rehabilitate them.”

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Some personnel of the Nigerian Army have again threatened to stage a protest against what they described as ill-treatment, negligence of their welfare and terrible working conditions as families of their fallen colleagues have been allegedly forgotten by the military and the Nigerian authorities.

This is coming barely 48 hours to this year’s July 6th Army Day Celebration, in which the aggrieved soldiers have insisted that there is nothing to celebrate.

Some of the soldiers who spoke with SaharaReporters on the condition of anonymity said that there was no need holding a luxurious celebration while officers are dying and family members of their colleagues killed while fighting terrorists are languishing in penury.

According to them, the major problem is that some of the top Army officers are involved in massive corruption and feeding large on the entitlements of personnel.

One of the soldiers said, “We are not happy. Nothing is worth celebrating. I don’t know what they are celebrating when they supposed to use that Army Day Celebration to think about their lives and think about how to make this army a better army, and to think about how to improve the welfare of soldiers and give them what belongs to them. See Also Military EXCLUSIVE: Disquiet In Nigerian Army As Officers, Soldiers Plan One-day Protest Over Poor Equipment, Welfare, Corruption Under General Yahaya 0 Comments 1 Week Ago

“The authorities tried to curb this through the IPPIS (Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System) but till today, they (the army officers) know how to block it because they are corrupt from the bottom. Instead of IPPS, POS (Point Of Sale) is what is paying soldiers today.

“They are celebrating Army Day while some soldiers are using their money to pay for the houses they are living in while they are serving in the army because there is no accommodation in barracks. There is no equipment, no uniform. Soldiers use their money to buy uniforms and they are talking about Army Day celebration. What are we celebrating? We are not celebrating anything. Nobody is happy to celebrate anything.

“A pair of Army uniforms in Nigeria is N30,000 and above. Some people in Maiduguri for the past 6 or 7 years are still in the battlefield but nobody is talking about their rotation. Some of them; their wives have divorced them because they couldn’t bear it any longer. Their children have turned to another thing.

“Those that sustained injuries because of this country are in hospitals using their money to treat themselves. Yet, the army would say that they are taking care of soldiers and the families of soldiers that lost their lives. How many times has the army’s spokesperson, Brig Gen Onyema Nwachukwu, come to the bush to ask soldiers what is going on? Or how many times have they gone to barracks to know how soldiers’ wives are faring?

“They are celebrating Army Day when former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, took all the money that was made for weapons for this country for his own selfish interests and nothing has been done because they are protecting him. Over 30 soldiers lost their lives a few days ago in Niger State and they are celebrating Army Day.”

“They don’t want to release money for operation allowance. How will the commanding officers feed the soldiers on the battlefield? Where will they get money to feed them? It has been like that since last month up till now and nothing has been paid. We are all tired and we still wonder what they are celebrating,” another officer said.

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Ahead of the February 2023 general elections in Nigeria, some Presidential candidates have petitioned the United States of America, United Kingdom and the international community over alleged posting of top police officers in favour of the South-West region.

They alleged the posting was done to help the candidate of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu rig the poll.

Tinubu is from the South-West Region of the country. 

According to them, the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), Musiliu Smith, has approved the posting of 16 indigenes who hail from the South-West to serve as commissioners out of the 37 commands in the country - 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory. 

The petitioners alleged that Smith, who is a former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and from the South-West carried out the lopsided postings in collaboration with the present IGP, Usman Alkali Baba, who is from Yobe State, in North-East Nigeria. 

Also approved are the postings of seven Assistant Inspectors General (AIGs) of Police who are from of the South-West to seven out of the 17 zonal headquarters, the petitioners alleged.

“We considered these postings as a plot to rig the 2023 presidential election using the relationship between the APC and the two top police officials,” the petition read.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said the Presidential and National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday, February 25, 2023, while governorship and state houses of assembly elections will hold on March 11, 2023. 
 

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The abducted Italian priest, Reverend Father Luigi Brena of Somascan Father’s community has been rescued by the Nigeria Police Force, Edo State command.

The 64-year-old Brena was kidnapped on Sunday evening abducted by hoodlums suspected to be kidnappers along Ogunwenyi through Usen community in Ovia South-West Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The development was confirmed on Monday in a statement by the Deputy Public Relations Officer of the Edo State Police Command, Jennifer Iwegbu, noting that police operatives attached to the Iguobazuwa division were alerted of the incident on Sunday at about 5:45pm and immediately trailed the suspected kidnappers to their camp.

“In our continuous efforts to curb crime and criminality in the state, most especially kidnapping, the Edo  State Police Commissioner, CP Abutu Yaro, fdc has massively deployed police operatives to most of the identified volatile areas in the state and the move has started yielding positive results,” Iwegbu said while announcing the Italian cleric’s rescue.

“The superior firepower of the police operatives neutralised three of the kidnappers while the rest escaped into the forest with various degrees of gunshot injuries, abandoning their victim,” she added.

“The victim was immediately rushed to Igbinedion Teaching Hospital, Okada for medical attention. Meanwhile, intensive bush combing is ongoing with the aim of arresting the suspected kidnappers now on the run.”

The Edo State Police Commissioner appealed to residents not to deter from partnering with the police by supporting them with prompt and useful information that could lead to the arrest of criminals terrorising the state.

"The command remained committed to the fight against kidnapping and other criminal acts in Edo," he stressed.

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The Federal Ministry of Justice has dragged a property developer, Mr. Cecil Osakwe, before a Federal High Court in Abuja over alleged N130million fraud.

The developer will be arraigned before Justice M.S. Idris of the court on July 5.

The court processes with charge number CR/244/2022, and filed on June 14, 2022, indicated that Osakwe was accused of Advanced Fee Fraud, punishable under section 3(1) of the Laws of the Federation 2004.

According to the charge signed by the Director of Public Prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice, Mr. M. B. Abubakar, Osakwe was also accused of criminal intimidation of one Ms Asabe Waziri.

Part of the charge reads, “That you Cecil Osakwe, male, adult of Abeh Signature Limited, sometimes in 2021 in Abuja, Nigeria within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court obtained by false pretence and with intent to defraud, the sum of N130,000,000 00 (one hundred and thirty million naira) only being payment for the purchase of a two bedroom flat with a maid’s quarters at Abeh Signature Apartment, located at 1, Mekong Close, Maitama, Abuja from one Ms Asabe Waziri which property you failed to deliver neither did you refund her money. You thereby committed an offence contrary to section 3 (1) and punishable under same section of the Advance Fee Fraud, Cap. Ab, LFN, 2004.

“That you, Cecil Osakwe, male, adult of Abeh Signature Limited, sometimes in 2021 in Abuja, Nigeria within the Jurisdiction of this Honourable Court threatened Ms Asabe Waziri with injury to her person and reputation with intent to cause harm and even death in order to cause her to stop requesting legitimatety from you her receipt for payment for the purchase of a unit of two bedroom flat with a Maid’s quarters at Abeh Signature Apartment, 1, Mekong close, Abuja, from you and the deeds of assignment thereof. You thereby committed an offence contrary to section 396 (2) and punishable under section 397(a) of the penal code law (cap 89).”

Meanwhile, the Real Estate Developers Association of Nigeria, (REDAN), in a letter signed by the Executive Secretary, Yunusa Shuaibu, denied that Osakwe was a member of the association.

“The Association is bounded by strict rules and conduct such that clients are treated with utmost regard; complaints are not taken lightly. Hence, some developers who do not want to be regulated, shy away from joining the association for reasons best known to them," the association said.

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The Ekiti State Peoples Democratic Party is currently enmeshed in crisis after a faction called on the general public to disregard the purported appointment of the State PDP Party Chairman by a faction loyal to former Governor, Ayo Fayose.

The anti-Fayose faction affirmed that the name of the substantive State Chairman of PDP as confirmed by the State Executive Council, was Deji Ogunshakin.

Meanwhile Fayose’s PDP faction in Ekiti State had earlier appointed Alaba Agboola as the substantive Chairman of the party in the state.

Agboola is to replace the party’s governorship candidate in the last election, Hon Bisi Kolawole, who resigned as the state chairman to contest the governorship.

The appointment of Engr Agboola as the substantive state chairman was said to be among the resolutions at the State Executive Committee meeting held in Ado Ekiti today.

A statement by the Deputy Chairman, Hon Lanre Omolase, who has been acting as Chairman; and State Secretary, Mrs Funmi Ogun; read: “At the Exco meeting of the PDP, Ekiti State, which held at the State Secretariat of the Party, at the instance of the Chairman (Acting) – Hon. Lanre Omolase, on Monday, 4th July, 2022, the quorum at attendance being over and above one-third of the total membership of the Exco, deliberated on the need to appoint a substantive Chairman for our Party, in accordance with the party’s constitution.

“Article 47(6) of the Constitution of our great Party, the Peoples Democratic Party, provides that: ‘Where a vacancy occurs in any of the offices of the party, the Executive Committee at the appropriate level shall appoint another person from the area or zone where the officer originated from to serve out the tenure of the officer.’

“Accordingly and in view of the resignation of our erstwhile Party Chairman Hon Bisi Kolawole, who became our party flagbearer at the recent Ekiti State Governorship Election, the State executive committee members present deliberated on an appropriate and capable stalwart from the same zone as our erstwhile Chairman and unanimously appointed Hon. Alaba Agboola as substantive Chairman, to serve out the remainder of the tenure of our said erstwhile Chairman.”

However, another faction of PDP said the entire  appointment process of the State Party Chairman is exclusively the responsibility of the State Executive Council, (SEC), which comprises all major stakeholders of the party numbering about 60.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Ekiti State PDP Publicity Secretary, Hon. Raphael' Wumi Adeyanju on Monday.

He said, "This is to inform the general public that purported appointment of the State PDP Party Chairman by the former Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose should be ignored in its totality, since he cannot put something on nothing.

"The entire process of appointment of the State Party Chairman is exclusively the responsibility of the State Executive Council, (SEC), which comprises all major stakeholders of the party numbering about 60.

"The name of the substantive State Chairman of PDP as confirmed by SEC is Ogunshakin who is former Chairman, Ado Local Government and former 2018 Deputy Governorship candidate of the party,” he added.

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