Tag: Mr. Femi Falana

20Apr By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Buhari’s Greatest Tribute To Kyari Should Be Fixing Public Hospitals – Falana

Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, said on Sunday that the greatest tributes the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd), could pay to the 19 deceased victims of COVID-19 in Nigeria, including his former Chief of Staff, the late Abba Kyari, who died on Friday, was for governments at all levels to fix public hospitals. Falana, who said this in a statement, also attributed the rising number of COVID-19 cases in Nigeria to official hypocrisy, impunity and lack of coordination between the federal and state governments in the efforts to fight the spread of the pandemic in Nigeria. Speaking on the urgent need for public hospitals to be fixed, Falana said the treatment of British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, for COVID-19 in a public hospital in London should be “a s...

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4Feb By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Posting Policemen Outside State Of Origin Is Unproductive – Falana

Human rights lawyer , Mr . Femi Falana ( SAN) , says the practice of posting policemen outside their states of origin is unproductive. Falana said every police officer should operate in their community, speak the local language and mix freely with the people . The activist said this at the Maiden Memorial Public Lecture in memory of Late Professor Olumuyiwa Awe in Ibadan , according to a statement on Monday . The senior advocate said , “ The success of the civilian Joint Task Force in the counter -insurgency operations in Borno state has proved that the best way to police a country is to recruit , train and equip young men and women to operate in their own communities . “ The colonial practice of posting police personnel to operate outside their states of origin was meant to suppre...

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3Feb By dthataNo Comments

Politics

I Know An Ex-gov Who Had A Killer Squad – Falana

Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, said on Monday that he knew a former governor in one of the South-West states who had a killer squad that helped him to eliminate his political opponents. Falana, who spoke at the University of Ibadan, said the former governor’s killer squad was headed by a police officer, who was the Chief Security Officer to the then-governor. He said one of those killed by the killer squad was “a World Bank expert,” but he did not name the former governor in question. Falana said one of the arguments against the creation of state police was that governors would use them to hunt their political opponents. He, however, maintained that state police remained the solution to Nigeria’s insecurity problem. He suggested how state police should be stru...

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4Dec By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Border Closure And Hate Speech Bill Are Illegal – Falana

Lagos Fiery Lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), has declared that the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government was allegedly misled into having the erroneous impression that only border closure can guarantee food security and economic development in the country. Falana, a social crusader and human rights activist added that the National Assembly lacks the constitutional powers to promulgate any law under the guise of Hate Speech, saying such was not captured under the exclusive and concurrent lists of the 1999 constitution. The human rights lawyer clarified that going ahead to promulgate such law would not only betray the trust reposed in the National Assembly by the Nigerian populace but would erode the powers of the state legislative arm since Nigeria operates a federal syste...

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14Nov By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Release Sowore, Bakare And Stop Exposing Nigeria To Ridicule – Falana To DSS

Human rights lawyer , Mr . Femi Falana ( SAN) , on Wednesday , charged the Department of State Services to immediately release the convener of #RevolutionNow protest , Mr . Omoyele Sowore, and Olawale Bakare. He asked the agency to stop exposing Nigeria to ridicule with its ever-changing excuses for continuing to hold on to them in violation of the Federal High Court ’s order for their release. Falana was replying the DSS’ latest statement issued by its spokesperson, Peter Ifunaya , on Wednesday , when the agency blamed the continued detention of the Sahara Reporters publisher and Bakare on the failure of their sureties to show up to receive them from custody . The senior lawyer narrated the steps that his legal team had taken to ensure the release of their clients since a bailiff first...

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5Nov By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Operation Positive Identification: Falana Gets Order Against Army

The Federal High Court in Lagos on Tuesday ordered the Nigerian Army and the Attorney General of the Federation to maintain status quo in respect of their planned Operation Positive Identification. Justice Rilwan Aikawa made the order at the request of human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN). Falana had filed a suit seeking to stop the army’s Operation Positive Identification, which requires that all citizens must carry a means of identification to be able to move. The lawyer argued that such an operation was a violation of constitutional rights to liberty. In a short ruling on Tuesday, Justice Aikawa ordered the army to maintain status quo pending the hearing and determination of Falana’s suit. “In view of the agreement between counsel, I hereby order the 1st and 2nd de...

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31Oct By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Falana Sues Army, Asks Court To Stop Positive Identification Operation

Human rights lawyer , Mr . Femi Falana ( SAN ) , has sued the Nigerian Army , it’ s Chief of Army Staff and the Attorney- General of the Federation, praying for an order stopping the planned Operation Positive Identification by the army . The suit marked FHC /L / CS /1939 /2019 was filed before the Federal High Court in Lagos on October 25 , but a copy of it was seen by The PUNCH on Thursday . According to Falana , the planned nationwide operation scheduled for November 1 , to December 23 , 2019 , by which Nigerian citizens would be required to move about with means of identification is unconstitutional, illegal , null and void . He argued that the planned operation violates his right and that of other Nigerian citizens to liberty , “ as encapsulated in Section 35 respectively o...

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24Oct By dthataNo Comments

Politics

End Border Closure In National Interest, Falana Advises Buhari

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, has advised the Federal Government to end the closure of the land borders into the country. He said it would be in the national interest for the government to call off the border closure. Rather than continue to close the land borders, Falana advised the Federal Government to “urgently dialogue with Nigeria’s neighbouring countries to jointly fight the menace of smuggling, which necessitated the border closure by Nigeria.” The lawyer gave the advice in a statement on Thursday while delivering a paper on “Rule of Law, Good Governance and Economic Development” at the annual conference of the ECOWAS Court of Justice in Accra, Ghana. He urged the Federal Government to reject the endorsement of its border closur...

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28Aug By BobbyNo Comments

Uncategorized

El-Zakzaky has Iran’s support to turn Nigeria to Islamic State – FG

The Federal Government has alleged that the leader of the Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Sheikh Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, has the sole aim of establishing an Islamic State in Nigeria.   The government also said the cleric had the full support of the Iranian government to achieve this aim. The government made these claims in a counter-affidavit it filed against IMN’s motion challenging the Federal High Court’s order of July 26 proscribing the group.   Justice Nkeonye Maha of the Abuja Division of the Federal High Court who issued the proscription order, on Wednesday, fixed September 11 for the hearing of the motion filed on behalf of the IMN by Mr. Femi Falana (SAN).

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28Aug By BobbyNo Comments

News

Court refuses to grant Sowore’s application challenging his detention

The Federal High Court in Abuja has refused to grant the motion filed by Omoyele Sowore challenging his detention for 45 days by the Department of State Security.   Justice Nkeonye Maya, who declined all applications by Counsel to Sowore, Mr Femi Falana, SAN, sent the case back to Justice Taiwo for further hearing. Falana, who had asked the court to set aside the ex parte order granted by Justice Taiwo, also applied for oral bail when Justice Maha rejected the earlier application.   Sowore who is presently in detention had, on August 9, approached the court, seeking an order to vacate the ex parte order that gave the DSS the legal backing to detain him for 45 days.   Justice Taiwo Taiwo had, in a ruling on August 8 in an ex parte application, ordered Sowore...

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19Aug By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Falana Seeks Publication Of Detainees’ Names

In a statement on Sunday in Lagos, Falana claimed that more relatives of victims arrested and detained for several months had contacted him, following his petition to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) last week. “Following the publication of the contents of the said petition by the media, a number of the family members and friends of the majority of the detainees have reached out to us. Since the detainees were arrested by armed and masked naval personnel in mufti without any warrant of arrest and incarcerated incommunicado, it was thought by many family members that the detainees had been abducted and killed by hardened kidnappers. “The most pathetic case is that of Ms Grace Inyang, who was arrested in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, by masked naval personnel ...

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23Jul By dthataNo Comments

News

Fatoyinbo Vs Dakolos: IGP Mohammed Adamu Orders Case Transfer To Lagos

The Inspector General Of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered that petitions from both Senior Pastor of the Commonwealth of Zion Assembly, Abuja, Biodun Fatoyinbo, and the Dakolos, be investigated at the Force Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Alagbon, Ikoyi, Lagos This was made known by the lawyer to the Dakolos, Mr Femi Falana on Monday. Falana, (SAN) , told journalist that the IG had assured that justice would be done in the matter. While denying that the police authorities had refused to act on the Dakolos’ petition, the human rights lawyer said the case would be brought to Lagos because the family were the first to petition the police

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8Jul By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Soyinka, Falana, Others Lay Wreath On Abiola’s Grave

Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, says closure over the death of Chief MKO Abiola will be achieved when some of the challenges faced in the country are confronted and eliminated. Soyinka said this at a Wreath Laying Ceremony to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the death of Abiola, organised by Women Arise for Change Initiative (WA) at MKO Abiola’s graveside in Ikeja. He was charged for treason in 1994 by the Nigerian government, because he had declared himself the lawful President of Nigeria. He died in custody on the verge of being released in 1998. Soyinka said: “This is the first gathering in honour of MKO Abiola after the formal recognition by the federal government that he was duly elected, and that he is a past president of this nation. “And all we are waiting fo...

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28Jun By dthataNo Comments

News

Falana To Sue Judge Over Inspection Of Detention Facilities

HUMAN rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, has threatened to file a suit against the Chief Judge of the Federal High court, Justice Abdukadir Abdu-Kafarati, if he fails to direct the Judges of the Federal High Courts in Nigeria to conduct monthly inspection of detention facilities of agencies of the Federal Government. Falana, in a statement, said: “If our request is not granted within seven days of the receipt of this letter, we shall not hesitate to file a suit at the Federal High Court seeking to compel your Lordship to carry out your duty under section 34 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act.” Female judges and gender stereotypes, He said that the directive of the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court, has become necessary, in order to put an end to the illegal deten...

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24Jun By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Arraign Godfathers Who Sabotaged Party Primaries – Falana To INEC, Police

Human rights lawyer , Mr. Femi Falana ( SAN ) , has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Nigeria Police Force to immediately prosecute godfathers and thugs who undermined the last elections. Falana said this in a statement on Sunday . He said, “ Since the Federal Government has refused to set up the electoral offences tribunal recommended by the Uwais panel , INEC and the police should arraign in court the godfathers who sabotaged internal democracy in some of the parties and the armed thugs who committed other grave electoral offences during the last general election . ” The senior advocate also urged the Federal Government to implement the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais panel on electoral reform before those of the European Union . He s...

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3Jun By BobbyNo Comments

News

State, LG police require constitutional amendment, says Falana

Rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Mr Femi Falana yesterday advised the Federal Government that it needs to amend the 1999 Constitution before it can implement state or local government police. He said without going through the National Assembly, a single-handed implementation by the President would be null and void. Yesterday, President Buhari received a report on the reform of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) prepared by the National Human Rights Commission Presidential Special Panel on SARS Reforms. The report recommended, among others, the establishment of state and local government police. The President requested that the report be studied and a white paper produced within three months. Falana said: “The issue of State police is a constitutional ...

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26Apr By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Buhari Obeyed Court Orders In Military, Failed To Do So In Democracy – Falana

Femi Falana who spoke yesterday in Lagos during a public lecture on the 30th anniversary of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR), stated that President Buhari obeyed Court orders as a military leader, but failed to do so in democracy Femi Falana, a human rights activist who wondered why President Buhari obeyed court orders as a military leader from December 31, 1983 to August 27, 1985 but failed to do so in a democracy, said he would write to the Attorney-General of the Federation, Mr Abubakar Malami (SAN), to find out why. The lawyer who revealed he was worried about how court orders were being disobeyed by the Federal Government, said; “I just remember this morning trying to write a letter to the Attorney-General of the Federation and I find, very painfully, tha...

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2Mar By dthataNo Comments

Politics

I Would Have Been Surprised If Atiku Had Won – Falana

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, has said that he would have been surprised if the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had won. He said this during an interview on Hard Copy, a Channels Television programme which airs on Fridays and monitored by our correspondent. He said that Atiku’s emergence has negative implications, adding that his chances of winning in court are “tough”. He said: “I would have been surprised if Atiku had won. Atiku’s emergence has negative implications. He will have to defend many negative comments by Obasanjo. “He is under investigation by the United States Government. He never came out to deny the representation that he will enrich his friends. Atiku was going to sell the NNPC to his friends.” Asked ...

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4Jan By dthataNo Comments

Politics

Surrender To Police, Falana Advises Senator Dino Melaye

HUMAN rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, yesterday, called on the lawmaker representing Kogi West Senatorial district, Senator Dino Melaye to end the siege by submitting himself for arrest without any further delay. He, however, cautioned the Police to conduct Melaye’s arrest, investigation and prosecution in strict compliance with the relevant provisions of the penal statutes and the Constitution. In a statement Falana flayed the Police for the sensationalization of the planned arrest of the Senator. His words: “The fundamental right of every citizen to personal liberty is guaranteed by section 35 of the Constitution of Nigeria and article 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights. The right may however be violated by the State if there is reasonable suspicion th...

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18Dec By BobbyNo Comments

News

No One Can Annul Elections in Nigeria again, Falana Boasts

Human rights lawyer, Mr Femi Falana (SAN), says no leader in Nigeria can annul elections in the country as was the case in 1993. Falana disclosed this at  the inauguration of the League of Anambra Professionals Legal Defence Initiative, held in Lagos according to a statement on Monday. ADVERTISING Breaking: Lecturers walk out of meeting with FG delegation The lawyer added that for fear of ICC, no Nigerian leader dared annul election again like a former Head of State, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), did in 1993. He also dismissed the fear that President Muhammadu Buhari might be unwilling to leave office if he should lose next year’s election. Falana said, “Unlike in 1993 when the military President, Gen. Ibrahim Babangida, successfully annulled an election, that is no longer possible. “...

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6Aug By BobbyNo Comments

Politics

Resign Your Seats Now, Falana Tells Decamped Lawmakers

Mr. Femi Falana, popular Lawyer, and Human Right Activist has recommended that lawmakers who decamped from the All Progressives Congress (APC) to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and vise versa should resign their seat in the Legislative. Falana advised the defectors, who are mostly members of Reformed- All Progressives Congress (R-APC), in a statement made available to Newsmen in Abuja, that they should forgo their mandate and wait for another during the next elections. Naija News recalls that the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) lost 13 senators and 37 members of the House of Representatives, the height of the political move was the defection of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki. The Prominent lawyer, however, clarified that the defection of the governors of Benue Stat...

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17Oct By raymonNo Comments

News

Fela Was My Most Interesting Client – Femi Falana

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has said the late Afrobeat maestro, Fela Anikulapo, remains his most interesting client. He recalled that Fela used to walk up to him to inform him ahead of his plans to violate the law, telling him to get ready to defend him in court. According to Falana, Fela had a penchant for breaking the law, but he got away with a lot of violations because he always prepared his defence ahead. A video clip circulating on the Facebook captured Falana as saying this during a lecture organised as part of the activities marking this year’s Felabration and Fela’s 79th birthday, which was marked post-humously. Falana said, “I was Fela’s lawyer and I can tell you here, he’s been my most interesting client. “Fela, for many of us, had propensity for c...

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17Jul By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments

News

Presidency To Drag Senate To Supreme Court Over Magu Controversy

The Presidency is planning to approach the Supreme Court to make a pronouncement on the lingering crisis between the executive and the National Assembly over the powers of the President to appoint some heads of government agencies without recourse to the Senate based on the provisions of Section 171 of the Constitution. A Presidency source, who disclosed this to journalists in Abuja, on Sunday, said the development was based on legal advice made available to the government on the different interpretations of the law on the matter. The Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, had, in an interview in April, ruled out the possibility of President Muhammadu Buhari replacing the acting Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Ibrahim Magu, whose nomination was rejected by the Sen...

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10May By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments

News

Rivers Re-run Probe: Court Declares Police Panel Illegal

ABUJA-The Federal High Court in Abuja, on Tuesday, declared as illegal, the Special Joint Investigative Panel that was constituted by the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Idris Ibrahim, to uncover those behind violence that marred the December 10, 2016, legislative re-run election in Rivers State. Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Ezenwo Wike In a 106-paged judgment that lasted over five hours, Justice Gabriel Kolawole described the Police probe panel which included operatives of the Department of State Service, DSS, as “a strange contraption whose existence will create legal doubt”. Justice Kolawole held that the 15-man Special Joint Investigative Panel is a body unknown to any law in the country. He maintained that neither the Police Act, Security Agencies Act nor the 1999 Constitution...

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29Apr By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments

News

Abdulmumin Jibrin And 30 Lawyers In Court To Challenge His Suspension

Reps member, Abdulmumin Jibrin on friday, stormed the Federal high court in Abuja to protest his suspension from the House of representatives. Jibrin who was the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation was suspended 7 months ago after accusing the House of reps leadership of Budget padding. The embattled reps member was in the company of his constituents and his lawyers numbering about 30 including his lead counsel, Femi Falana (SAN). Presiding Judge, Justice Tsoho, after hearing arguments for and against an application filed by two members of the House, Rep. Nicholas Ossai, and Rep. Oker Jev, fixed May 10th as the day to determine whether or not to put on hold, proceedings in the suit instituted by Rep. Abdulmumuni Jibrin challenging the legality of his s...

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21Apr By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments

News

You Can’t Execute Rev. King, Others, Falana Tells Ambode

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has asked Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State to commute the death penalty passed on death row inmates in the state to life imprisonment instead of executing them. Those on death row upon the judgment of the court of Lagos State included the General Overseer of Christian Praying Assembly, Chukwuemeka Ezeugo, a.k.a. Rev. King. Falana argued in his letter dated April 19, 2017 and addressed to Ambode that the planned execution of death row inmates in the state would violate a subsisting judgment delivered in 2012 by the High Court of Lagos State which ruled that it was illegal and unconstitutional to execute condemned inmates. He reminded the governor that the judgment of the court of the state had held that to hang or subject death ro...

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20Apr By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments

News

Why EFCC, ICPC, AGF May Lose More Corruption Cases

Some top lawyers have suggested to the various anti -corruption and law enforcement agencies how the trend of losing high- profile corruption cases can be reversed , ADE ADESOMOJU reports On April 3, 2017, which was Monday , the first working day of the week, the Federal High Court in Lagos lifted the order barring a Senior Advocate of Nigeria , Chief Mike Ozekhome , from accessing his Guaranty Trust Bank account into which he received N 75m legal fee from the Ekiti State Governor , Ayodele Fayose. The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had on February 7, 2017 obtained an interim order stopping Ozekhome from dissipating the N 75m on the grounds that it formed part of proceeds of alleged criminal activities of Fayose . The EFCC claimed that the N 75m which Fayose paid to Ozek...

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1Apr By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments

News

Mike Ozekhome Vs Femi Falana On Ndume’s Suspension

A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Mike Ozekhome, has stated that the Senate has the right to summon it’s members to order at anytime. “The Committee of the House or the House, can summon any person. it says any person, and it didn’t say some people. “It didn’t say whether those elected or not elected. Any person; to bring papers, memos, come with evidence, and that if such a person is summoned to come and testify or to come and answer questions and he refuses to come, under Section 5, the Branch of the National Assembly can order the Police to arrest and bring such a person.” He added that “the Senate President or the Speaker of the House of Representatives if satisfied that the person has entered into recognizance, they can release the person but if not satisfied, they can tell th...

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21Mar By Czar Owolabi MarcusNo Comments

News

Senate Has No Lawful Authority To Invite Hameed Ali – Falana

Human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana (SAN), has said the Senate has no lawful authority to invite the Comptroller-General of the Nigerian Customs Service, Col. Hameed Ali, to justify the agency’s move to compel all vehicle owners in the country to pay appropriate duties on their imported vehicles. In a write-up on Sunday, Falana argued that the invitation extended to Ali by the Senate was unconstitutional. “The Senate lacks the vires to summon the CGC on policy matters. “Indeed the oversight power of either House of the National Assembly is not at large but limited by section 88 (2) of the Constitution,” Falana argued. He cited the Court of Appeal decision in the case of El-rufai vs House of Representatives, where the court, relying on the case of Senate of the National Ass...

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