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649 suspected looters arrested, 34 remanded in FCT, Kwara, Adamawa, Cross River, others

arrested hoodlums in Jos

Some hoodlums arrested in Jos, Plateau State Photo: NAN

  • 189 more held in Plateau, 144 in Kwara, 130 in Adamawa, 80 in C’River

  • Journalist shot, five killed as looting continues in Kogi, FCT

Adelani Adepegba, Eniola Akinkuotu, Samson Folarin, Deji Lambo, Tony Okafor, Godwin Isenyo, Matthew Ochei, Bola Bamigbola, Peter Dada,  Hindi Livinus, James Abraham, Adeyinka Adedipe, Abiodun Nejo, Enyioha Opara, Edward Nnachi, Raphael Ede, Gbenga Odogun, Ada Wodu, Justin Tyopuusu, Ada Wodu, Wale Oyewale and Daud Olatunji

No fewer than 649 suspected looters have been arrested in different parts of the country following attacks on warehouses where palliatives are stored.

At the Federal Capital Territory, the police arrested 51 suspected looters and recovered stolen palliatives.

No fewer than 144 suspects were arrested in Kwara, while 30 were arrested in Taraba.

The police also arrested 25 suspected looters in Kaduna; 130 in Adamawa; and 80 in Cross River.

In Plateau State, 189 more looters were arrested, bringing the total figure to 307. The army had on Sunday said it arrested 118 suspected looters in the state.

Three trampled to death in FCT

Three women were feared dead on Monday after they were reportedly trampled while looting a warehouse filled with COVID-19 palliatives in the Gwagwalada area in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

Many others were also said to have passed out, but were revived, helped out of the building and given water to drink.

Indications that the palliatives would be looted had emerged on Sunday when a message circulated on a social media platform, WhatsApp, informing FCT residents about the location of the warehouse and the time for the looting, which was fixed for 8am.

Eyewitnesses said the looting started around 9am when some youths forced their way into the massive warehouse located beside the office of the West African Examination Council.

Parts of the roof were removed to provide access into the hall, as men, women and children also joined the action.

However, personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, the Nigeria Police and the Army Brigade of Guards, who arrived at the venue to frustrate the looters, failed as they were overwhelmed by the crowd who went away with everything they could carry, including bags of rice, millet, cartons of spaghetti, cereals, grinding machines and other commodities.

Youths from the suburbs of Angwa Dodo, Wazobia parks, Tipper Garage, Passo and surrounding areas also joined in pillaging the warehouse.

A man pushing a tricycle laden with looted commodities, in a video, said the foodstuffs were his rights as a citizen, adding that he would go back for more after off-loading the ones he was taking home.

Three hours later, more security reinforcements successfully forced their way into the warehouse and locked it up.

Suspected hoodlums also resumed the looting of some warehouses on the Idu Industrial Estate.

The incident commenced on Sunday, but the youth again stormed the area on Monday, defying security operatives guarding the building.

Meanwhile, the police in Abuja arrested 51 suspects who allegedly participated in the looting of COVID-19 palliatives at various warehouses on Sunday.

 The command disclosed that stolen items were also recovered from them, including 52 (5kg) bags of rice; two (50kg) bags of rice; four cartons of soap; one big sack of spaghetti; tomato paste; 20 pairs of trousers; 33 shirts; three cartons of Terra soya oil, two cartons of noodles, 17 wrappers and 10 pieces of linen.

 Journalist shot, five killed as looting continues in Kogi

 A journalist with The Sun Newspaper, Emmanuel Adeyemi, has been shot.

Adeyemi was on his way to the Nigerian Union of Journalists secretariat when he was shot by some gunmen.

The drive-by gunmen also shot another passerby, whose name could not be immediately ascertained.

Five people were reported dead.

The gunshots in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, followed resumption of looting in a warehouse in the Zone 8 area.

 A similar incident was recorded overnight when ADP warehouse was invaded where many bags of fertiliser were carted away.

A large crowd of youths gathered at the roundabout close to the warehouse as early as 7am after exhausting that of Kpata warehouse on Sunday.

As of the time of filing this report, gunshots rent the air while all shops along Murtala Mohammed way, Lokoja, were closed with people scampering to safety.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, William Aya, said hoodlums were behind the gunshots, adding that they fired to have free access  for their looting activities.

The state information Commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo, in a statement attributed the shooting to “sponsored mercenaries.”

 The victims were taken to the State Specialists Hospital, Lokoja for treatment.

 Ebonyi police station burnt over palliatives

A police station in the Abakaliki metropolis, the Central Police Station, has been burnt by angry youths protesting against alleged hoarding of palliatives in the Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

A video trending on the social media shows the protesters singing war songs and throwing different objects into the burning police station.

The video also showed some policemen running into a bush for fear of being attacked by the protesters.

The protest, which rocked the Ikwo council area of the state on Monday, our correspondent gathered, was not be unconnected with the unshared palliatives by the leadership of the local government area.

A community source said the youth moved from one location to the other to register their displeasure.

The source said, “Staff of the Alex-Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike-Ikwo, were seen scampering out of the university vicinity as those with cars zoomed out through the university gate for fear of being attacked by the angry youths.”

PUNCH Metro reports that about five police stations have been burnt in the state in the past one week, with Monday’s burning of the CPS, making it the fifth.

Customs shoot looters in Adamawa

Five persons have been reportedly shot at a customs’ warehouse in Yola, Adamawa State.

An eyewitness claimed that the victims, who were hit by live bullets fired by customs officials, later died.

She said the looters attempted to enter the warehouse used by the Nigerian Customs Service, Adamawa and Taraba states commands, for storing seized items that included arms, foreign parboiled rice, electronics and vehicles.

The Adamawa State Police Command confirmed the attack by the hoodlums.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Suleiman Nguroje, said officers had been deployed in the scene.

  Earlier on Sunday, a crowd which included youths and the elderly carted away food items, seeds and other agricultural farm inputs from several government-owned warehouses believed to be housing COVID-19 palliatives.

Four persons reportedly lost their lives due to a stampede at one of the warehouses at Kwana-waya.

Niger beefs up security at warehouses

Following the looting of COVID-19 palliatives by youths across the country, the Niger State Government on Monday beefed up security around warehouses in Minna to prevent hoodlums from gaining access to them.

The warehouses were stored with food and other items meant for distribution as palliatives to cushion the effects of the nationwide lockdown occasioned by the outbreak of the coronavirus

Armed security agents, comprising the police, NSCDC and other security outfits, were seen keeping vigil at all the government stores and warehouses where the palliatives were kept.

Fear grips police formations in Enugu

Palpable fear gripped police formations in Enugu metropolis as roads leading to many police stations and barracks were barricaded by stern-looking armed policemen.

This followed the news of the burning down of many police stations in the country as a result of the #EndSARS protest that later turned bloody.

Our correspondent gathered that the barricading of the roads around police stations caused traffic congestion on many roads since vehicles take only one side of the lanes.

‘Ekiti panel on police brutality won’t shut out anybody’

The Ekiti State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Olawale Fapohunda, on Monday said the state Judicial Panel of Inquiry into Allegations of Human Rights Violations against Police 0fficers including Officers of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad and other Persons would not shut out anybody, promising to consider all petitions.

Fapohunda, who said that the panel would begin sitting on Monday, November 2, said petitions did not have to follow a strict format to allow all intending petitioners to make their case.

The AG, who spoke at a press conference to give update on the panel headed by Justice Cornelius Akintayo, said the state government had also established a victims compensation fund to facilitate the speedy payment of monetary compensation to deserving victims.

NBA faults mobile court for looters in Edo

The Chairman of the Benin branch of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mr Pius Oiwoh, has faulted the plan by the Edo State Government to set up a mobile court to try suspected looters of COVID-19 palliative warehouses in Benin and arsonists.

The mobile court, which will be on the premises of the state police headquarters, will conduct the trial of persons who allegedly damaged public and private property during the recent #EndSARS protests.

Oiwoh said the government’s decision to try the suspects in a mobile court is unacceptable, adding that there were conventional courts set up to hear such matters.

He noted that using the police headquarters as a venue for the trial would compel those in charge of the mobile court to carry out the orders of the law enforcement agents, stressing that the charges could not be heard summarily.

 Plateau looters get 48-hour ultimatum to return stolen palliatives

 The Plateau State Government has given residents 48 hours to return looted palliatives in their possession or risk being arrested.

The acting spokesman for the state police command, Donbey Peters, confirmed this in a statement on Monday.

“…the government of Plateau State is giving these looters the grace to return immediately every looted item to the nearest local government office not later than Wednesday, October 28, 2020. Anyone found in possession of any looted item after this date will be arrested and brought to book,” he said.

The statement reminded the public that the 24 hours curfew imposed by the government was still in place and cautioned the public against disobedience.

Meanwhile, the  state government on Monday said it had designated seven courts to try 307 suspects arrested for participating in the looting of palliatives and other items in the state.

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Danladi Atu, who disclosed this on Monday, said the decision was taken during a State Security Council meeting at the Rayfield Government House in Jos on Monday.

He said the council agreed to further fortify all checkpoints in Jos South and Jos North LGAs to give effect to the curfew imposed in order to restore peace.

Also, a statement issued by the Director of Press and Public Affairs, Government House, Dr Macham Makut, warned members of the public from consuming some of the looted food items.

He said they were dangerous for human consumption because they were chemically treated for preservation.

 Ekiti, Kwara, Kaduna review curfew

The Ekiti State Government has reviewed the ongoing curfew in the state to dusk till dawn.

The Commissioner for Information, Akinbowale Omole, said in a public service announcement on Monday that the curfew would now be from 8pm to 6am.

 Also, the Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, reviewed the curfew in Ilorin, the state capital, from 24 hours to 12 hours.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the curfew would now be between 6pm and 8am as from today Monday, October 26, 2020.

In a related development, the Kaduna State Government accepted the recommendation of the security agencies for a “significant relaxation” of the curfew in 21 local government areas.

The state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr Samuel Aruwan, however, said the 24-hour curfew would continue in Chikun and Kaduna South LGAs until further notice.

The commissioner, in a statement, said, “From Tuesday, October 27, 2020, residents can pursue their lawful business between 6am and 4pm daily. Curfew hours will be from 4pm to 6am, in all local government areas, except Chikun and Kaduna South.”

10 arrested for destroying property in Ondo

The Ondo State Police Command on Monday said it arrested 10 people in connection with the destruction of property in some parts of the state during the last week #EndSARS protest.

Facilities worth millions of naira were allegedly destroyed by the suspects during the protest in Akure,  Ondo, Ore, Okitipupa and some other towns in the state.

Some of the facilities allegedly destroyed by the hoodlums included the National Correctional Service Centre and the local government secretariat in Okitipupa;  the divisional police station in Ore; a police station in Akure;  the state secretariat of the Peoples Democratic Party and that of the All Progressives Congress in Akure.

Many vehicles were also allegedly burnt by the hoodlums.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Tee-Leo Ikoro, who confirmed the arrest to our correspondent, said men of the command would deal with any miscreants who engaged in acts of vandalisation or hooliganism.

Police ask Lagos residents to reject looted items

The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has warned residents to desist from purchasing stolen items from hoodlums who burgled shops and businesses of residents during the #EndSARS protest in the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Muyiwa Adejobi, in a statement on Monday, said the looted items were hard-earned property of innocent Nigerians, adding that the police would go after anyone found culpable.

Adejobi also noted that Odumosu urged traders to reject any attempt by hoodlums who had looted people’s property to keep stolen items in their custody.

Lawyer faults Fashola’s ‘discovery’ of camera at Lekki tollgate

A human rights lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), has faulted the supposed discovery of a video camera recorder by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), at the Lekki toll plaza on Sunday.

Adegboruwa said this in a statement on Monday titled, ‘Usurpation of powers of the panel of inquiry on SARS abuses’.

Fashola had while conducting a tour of the toll plaza alongside governors and ministers from the South-West supposedly discovered a camera at the toll plaza five days after the shooting of unarmed #EndSARS protesters by soldiers.

However, Adegboruwa said since the state government had established an independent panel of inquiry to investigate what transpired at the tollgate, the panel should be allowed to do its work.

Also, a human rights lawyer, Inibehe Effiong, has written the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, demanding CCTV footage of the shootings at the Lekki toll plaza on October 20, 2020.

In the letter, titled, ‘Urgent Request Pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act, 2011’ the lawyer promised to undertake and pay the cost of certification and any applicable administrative fees.

‘N120m items, drugs lost to looting of Osun Health Insurance offices’

The Osun State Government on Monday said over N120m worth of drugs and materials were lost to the last Saturday’s attack on the premises of the Osun Health Insurance Scheme in Osogbo.

Conducting newsmen round the premises, the Executive Secretary of the agency, Dr Niyi Oginni, said the entire premises, including a drug distribution centre and the state central medical store were looted by hoodlums.

Oginni said the hoodlums believed COVID-19 palliatives were kept in the area because some trucks were driven onto the premises a day before the incident.

He appealed to residents and landlords that come across any of the stolen electrical appliances and drugs to notify law enforcement agents.

Burning of court will delay justice delivery — Delta NBA

Following the burning of a Magistrates’ court by hoodlums during the #EndSARS protest in Asaba, the Delta State capital, the Nigerian Bar Association, Asaba branch, has lamented that the incident will delay the delivery of justice.

The Chairman of the association, Mr Nwabueze Ezeagwu, who stated this on Monday after inspecting the burnt court in Asaba, said the incident would affect court sitting.

He said, “We just inspected the burnt magistrates’ court, and a lot of damage was done here; it is very bad for people to carry out such acts.

“All documents were burnt, and this will delay justice system, not just only in Delta but the country at large because others were also burnt in some states.”

 Looters stole fake, expired drugs from NAFDAC warehouse – Kaduna

Operatives of the Kaduna State Police Command arrested 25 suspected hoodlums in connection with Saturday looting of COVID-19 palliatives in various warehouses in the state.

The suspects were immediately charged before a chief magistrates’ court on Monday after being paraded before newsmen.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Jalige, told journalists that the hoodlums were investigated before their arraignment.

He listed the items recovered to include bags of mosquito coil, air conditioners, bags of grains and fertilisers, a microwave machine, burglary irons, two bags of sugar, three bags of soya beans, two cartons of cough syrup, aluminium window panels, mobile telephones and roofing sheets.

Others are vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles.

Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Bureau for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment has warned against administering the drugs looted at the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control laboratory office at Narayi, Kaduna, by hoodlums on Saturday.

The Director General of the Bureau, Joseph Maigari, insisted that the drugs looted were fake, expired as well as seized contraband.

According to Maigari, among the looted drugs are controlled substances, such as codeine and tramadol, which could alter the mental state of their users.

 Six arrested for burning Ekiti police stations

The police in Ekiti State on Monday paraded six suspects arrested in connection with the attack on three police stations in the state during the #EndSARS protests penultimate week.

The suspects were two minors –12 years old Sina and 13 years old Ayomide; and four adults — Alao Emmanuel, Ojuko Tobi, Sunday Salihu and Kosedake Olamilekan.

Hoodlums suspected to have hijacked the #EndSARS protest in Ikere Ekiti penultimate Saturday razed two divisional police stations and the area command office in Ikere Ekiti, as well as the vehicles in the police formations.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr Sunday Abutu, who spoke in Ado Ekiti while parading the suspects, said, “These suspects were caught in the act and they have confessed to the crime. A lot of names have been mentioned. As many that were involved would be arrested and prosecuted.”

Gwagalada residents looting a warehouse Photo: Olatunji Obasa

Protect armouries at all costs, AIG tells Anambra police

The Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 13, Ukpo, Anambra State, Danmallam Mohammed, has asked police personnel in the state not to be demoralised by the attacks on police stations and killing of their colleagues by hoodlums who hijacked the #EndSARS protest.

He charged them to be gallant and protect armouries under them at all costs.

Mohammed stated this during a tour of police stations in the state on Monday.

No fewer than 17 police stations in the state were attacked during the protests and about six police officers killed.

Police parade 144, court remands 34 suspected looters in Kwara

The Kwara State Police Command on Monday said it arrested 144 suspects in connection with the weekend looting of government and private properties in the state capital.

Police sources said among those arrested were a woman and her three daughters, who allegedly were found with looted goods from one of the shopping malls stuffed in their posh car.

The police also recovered some of the stolen items, including mattresses, chairs, iron and tables, oven and foodstuffs.

Parading the suspects at the police headquarters in Ilorin, the state Commissioner of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, said all the suspects were arrested with looted items in their possession.

Meanwhile, a total of 34 suspects have been remanded in the Federal Correctional Yard, Oke Kura, Ilorin, by some magistrates’ courts sitting in Ilorin over their alleged involvement in the looting and destruction of Kwara Mall and other stores in the state capital last Friday.

The suspects were arrested and arraigned by the Kwara command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

Following a tip-off from members of the public, men of the NSCDC, according to its commandant, Makinde Ayinla, swung into action and arrested many culprits at various locations in Ilorin with items looted from the Kwara Mall and other stores raided by the hoodlums.

The 34 culprits were arraigned before separate magistrates’ courts on Monday and charged with alleged criminal conspiracy, brigandage, theft, belonging to gangs of thieves, destruction of public and private property, among others.

Despite oral applications made by counsel to some of the accused persons, the courts, in separate rulings, adjourned till 9th and 16th of November, 2020 for mention and remanded all the accused at the Correctional Centre in Ilorin.

Also, the Kwara State Government denied claims that it hoarded the palliatives meant for vulnerable households in the state, saying the allegations were false and unsubstantiated.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, in a statement on Monday, said no fewer than 15 of the 16 local government areas in the state had benefited before the store was looted last Friday.

130 Adamawa suspected looters arrested, tractors, cars, others recovered

The Adamawa State Police Command has arrested 130 suspects in connection with the looting of government warehouses in the state.

A spokesman for the command, DSP Suleiman Nguroje, who confirmed the arrest, said the police also recovered items looted by hoodlums.

He said they included tractors, cars, tricycles, motorcycles, computers and laptops, among others.

Meanwhile, private property owners counted their losses as the curfew imposed by state government did little to stop further looting by hoodlums which began on Sunday.

Farm belonging to a former Peoples Democratic Chairman, Bamanga Tukur, was looted by the hoodlums, who also raided warehouses belonging to the International Committee of the Redcross and Red Crescent, Shemad Concept Nigeria Limited, AMC Entrepreneurship Centre and a hospital donated to the state government for use as COVID-19 isolation centre in Kofare.

The Chief Executive Officer of Shemad Concept Nigeria Ltd, Alhaji Mohammed Shemad, while addressing journalists on Monday, lamented that the looters broke into his warehouse and carted away rice worth over N188m.

He said the hoodlums, who broke into his rice mill at Bakin Kogi, a riverside community in Yola North LGA, removed all 10,615 bags of rice that had been processed.

Apart from food items, the irate crowd also carted away about 50 tractors belonging to Northeast Commodity Association.

Items also carted away by the hoodlums included cars, refrigerators, generators, motorcycles, air conditioners, fertilisers  and office furnishings and gadget.

C’River informant promised N100,000 as 80 suspected vandals, looters arrested

The Cross River State Commissioner of Police, Adulkadir Jimoh, has said the command arrested 80 suspected vandals and looters of government and private property in Calabar, the state capital.

He said,  “We have up to 80 suspects in different facilities arrested in connection with looting of private offices, homes as well as those who invaded office of a National Assembly member, carting away various empowerment items, including tricycles, stage and sound equipment from Calabar International Conference Centre. I want to urge community leaders, youth groups, religious leaders to expose the looters and shame them.

“Looters have 24 hours to return all looted items before the house-to-house search gets to them as recovery of looted items is ongoing.”

Meanwhile, the state Governor, Prof. Ben Ayade, has promised to give N100,000 to anybody who provides information that will lead to the recovery of looted property in the state.

His Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Christian Ita, stated this in a statement on Monday.

“Anyone with useful information should please contact this number: 0803 450 0531,” he said.

23 arrested as Taraba hunts for looters

The Taraba State Police Command said it had arrested 23 suspected hoodlums in connection with the looting that took place in the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP David Missal, announced this while briefing journalists in Jalingo on Monday.

Missal said the arrest followed the command’s move to put an end to the current vandalisation and looting of government and private properties by hoodlums who disguised as #EndSARS protesters in Jalingo.

The PPRO said the command recovered six tricycles, three vehicles loaded with eight bags of rice, 39 bags of fertiliser, nine cartons of noodles, nine bottles of agrochemical, three camp beds and four cartons of spaghetti.

Meanwhile, the Taraba State Deputy Governor, Haruna Manu, vowed that the state government would go after everyone who looted government facilities and property of citizens.

Manu spoke when he inspected the destruction at the Hope Afresh Foundation, a non-governmental organisation of the wife of the Governor, Mrs Anna Ishaku on Kona Road in Jalingo.

Hunters foil burning of Oyo police station

Local hunters in Okeho, Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State, have reportedly foiled an attempt by some suspected hoodlums to raze a police station in the town.

The yet-to-be identified hoodlums, who reportedly besieged the Okeho Police Station on Sunday, were repelled by the hunters.

It was gathered that the hunters caught wind of the plan shortly before the gang attacked the station around 10pm on Sunday.

PUNCH Metro learnt that no sooner had they attacked the security personnel on duty at the station with broken bottles than the hunters repel them.

Two residents, Sikiru Lawoya and Bashiru Abija, said but for the quick intervention of the local hunters, the hoodlums would have succeeded in their mission.

Ogun denies looting of COVID-19 warehouses

Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has refuted reports that some COVID-19 palliative warehouses in some parts of the states have been looted.

Abiodun, who addressed journalists on Monday at Oke-Mosan office, said none of the warehouses was looted, adding that palliatives in 18 out of 20 warehouses had been distributed.

The governor’s reaction came following the hijack of distribution of palliatives in three local government areas of the state by hoodlums.

“None of our warehouses were looted by anybody. We have successfully distributed to about 18 or 19 LGs as of today,” he added.

Our correspondent gathered that officials of the government had moved to distribute the palliatives housed at Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu and Ifo Local Government Areas of the state.

It was gathered that the officials decided to distribute the items on Monday as pre-emptive measures to avoid looters from breaking into the warehouses.

PUNCH Metro learnt that officials who gathered at Ijebu-Ode, Sagamu and Ifo, to distribute the food items, were overpowered by hoodlums, who took away branded bags of rice, noodles and other items.

Some of the eyewitnesses who spoke with our correspondent said the atmosphere became rowdy and chaotic, as hoodlums took over the process, leaving the officials and security agents helpless.

Makinde unveils N1bn compensation package

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Monday, announced that his administration had set aside packages totalling N1bn to cover for compensation for victims of police brutality and injustice and a micro, small and medium enterprises scheme for youths in the state.

The package includes an initial deposit of N500m for MSMEs and another N500m as compensation to victims of police brutality and injustice.

Makinde, who made the disclosure while addressing traditional rulers, local government chairpersons, security operatives and other stakeholders at a meeting on Monday, said the state government would also employ 5,000 youths across the ministries, departments and agencies, in order to address the challenge of youth unemployment in the state.

He added that the state will also ensure that the 2021 Budget captures a Direct Labour Agency that will allow youths with prerequisite skills to have access to jobs whenever projects are awarded.

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