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Insecurity,  Anambra Guber  And Fears of Commissioner  Kuryas’s Competence

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Insecurity,  Anambra Guber, And Fears of Commissioner  Kuryas’s Competence.

Insecurity,  Anambra Guber, And Fears of Commissioner  Kuryas’s Competence.

 

 

 

Insecurity and Anambra State November guber election, which have become worrisome, are the focus of the Research and Intelligence Unit of National Association of Online Security Reporters, NAOSRE’s Week 12 Security Review*
The height of brazen attacks on Police Stations and the killing of personnel was experienced after the hijack of peaceful #EndSARS protest by hoodlums in October 2020.
 Inspector-General of Police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu, said that no fewer than 22 police officers were killed by youth protesting police brutality while hundreds of police stations and formations across the country were damaged.
But long after the end of the violent protests when the wounds were healing and Police pulling out of the onslaught with the rebuilding of its formations, Policemen seem to have become endangered species, especially in South East.
The attacks on Police which have assumed a worrisome dimension have resulted in the loss of personnel, destruction of the vehicle and police stations have been reported in Abia State, Anambra State, Ebonyi State, and Imo state all in southeast Nigeria as well as Cross Rivers.
On December 24, a Police team at Amannachi on the Orlu-Ihiala Road was attacked by gunmen who killed two personnel instantly and later set their patrol vehicle ablaze.
Civilian victims were also recorded on the day of the including a promising youth popularly called ‘Soludo’ whose vehicle was also snatched in the process.
On January 10, three Police officers including two male and one female were killed when unidentified gunmen invaded Onueke Police Station in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi state and carted away two Ak riffles.
Loveth Odah, Police Public Relations Officer in Ebonyi state confirmed the attack and death of personnel.
According to her, “Yes, three policemen were killed in the attack. We don’t know the identity of the attackers yet. We are calling on the general public to provide information to the police in order to hunt down the perpetrators of this heinous crime,” she said.
The tales of deaths of Policemen in the hands of gunmen reverberated in Cross River State on Feb 24 when four of them on patrol were gunned down.
It was bloody recently in Calabar, Cross River State South-South Nigeria as unknown gunmen gunned four police officers at a checkpoint at about 12:30 am.
The policemen comprising two inspectors and two sergeants were killed in the early hours of Thursday at a checkpoint along MCC – Idundung road in Calabar
According to a local eyewitness, their dead bodies were seen on the floor in their pool of blood as a team of policemen recovered the two ruffles that were left behind.
Miss Irene Ugbo, PPRO in Cross River said that the Command has been thrown into grief and is very bitter about the ugly incident.
“It is quite unfortunate and we feel really sad and in mourning mood about the death of the four officers who lost their lives.
“We are investigating the matter and will surely root out the culprits no matter how far they run or hide, we must get them that I can assure you,” she said.
In Abia state, gunmen struck at Omoba Police station in Isiala Ngwa South and Abayi Station in Aba on Feb. 2 and Feb. 23 killing a total of three personnel.
Police in the state confirmed that the assailants gained access into the armory and carted away a number of AK 47 rifles and ammunition.
The source wondered why the police should be the target of those responsible such that able-bodied responsible personnel who were fathers, brothers, sons, mothers, sisters, and likely breadwinners of the family would be mowed down so wickedly.
Mr. Chucks Ezeh, a resident of one of the communities where Police were killed says they are living in fear because those who should protect them from criminals are murdered in cold blood.
Ezeh said though there had not been report of violent crime in the area, the possible disappearance of Police from the roads could lead to increased insecurity. “We don’t understand what the new Police Commissioner is doing,” he lamented.
Mr Osita Obijiofor, an activist, condemned the attacks saying it is not the solution to any problem.
Obi said the killings are not good for the security of the area as Police personnel would now operate with utmost caution and fear.
The activist called on governors in the region to harmonize and come up with a strategic regional plan to curb insecurity in the area.
“Though I did not support EndSAR, I have always called for reform of police towards creating a more robust relationship between the Police and the people.
“The attacks on Policemen and police formations are unfortunate because the Police still remain the closest security outfit to the people. Moreover, killing them will not end corruption or injustice because they are part of society.
“Though, there is a need for the Police to work on their relationship with the people.
“As a way forward, governors of states in the affected regions should see the development as a problem and come together to discuss the common problem bedeviling their states.
“Certainly, these are youths, the governors should have a way of reaching the youth and convincing them that they are for their interest, it should worry them why Police in their states are being attacked,” he said.
A security expert, Colonel Chuba Ikeagwu (Rrtd) said there is a need for more intelligence gathering in order to address the brewing arms buildup in Southern Nigeria.
Ikeagwu said the attack on Police is an institutional challenge for which the police must examine itself to discover at which point they have become endangered in the society. He admonished heads of Police formations like the Commissioner to undergo internal reassessment to be able to fight crime.
He condemned the transfer of arms to people without licenses which happens on the basis of corruption and blamed it on the inability to provide adequate security for Nigerians.
According to him, there is no smoke without fire, something is wrong somewhere and only the police can explain better what has happened it is not usual for the police to be under this type of attack.
“Again, it could be possible arms build up in response to what is happening in the North where herdsmen display the alarming volume of arms and efforts are not being made to mop them up.
“Federal government should not only condemn activities of herdsmen who as threatening the peace of this country, but it should also deal with them ruthlessly and unapologetically.
“This will send a clear signal about how government view lawlessness and discourage people from going away with illegal arms,” he said.
In all of this, however, is the case of Anambra State and the heightened security situation occasioned by the November governorship contest that is billed to be a battle of the titans.
First, Anambra State parades the highest number of billionaires in Nigeria and ostensibly, the richest in the country on individual accounts.
Therefore, any election in Anambra State is often more of do or die where money is not a problem to arm the young ones with sophisticated arms for electoral operations.
This has technically become a source of worry to stakeholders and residents of the State who are of the view that the newly transferred Commissioner of Police to the State, Monday Bala Kuryas, has not demonstrated the required dexterity to curb crimes in the commercially activated State.
Speaking to NAOSRE Intelligent and Research Unit, Chief Okafor Mbadinuju {Not related to the former governor} who resides in the state said:
“I have not seen any action by the new CP to curtail the excesses of these young criminals. We are all afraid because this is an election year. There is governorship election and lots of arms are entering Anambra like a never-ending stream,” he said.
Only recently, four Anambra policemen in two patrol teams lost their lives in Mkpologwu and Omogho in Aguata and Orumba North Local Government Areas on Feb. 25.
CSP Haruna Mohammed, then  PPRO in Anambra who confirmed the attack said the Commissioner of Police had visited the scene of the incident.
“The gunmen who drove in a saloon car and a black Mercedes Benz 4Matic SUV opened fire on the policemen deployed to patrol the two locations,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the CP has ordered for a discreet investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident and bring perpetrators of the dastardly act to book,” he said.
In spite of the open condemnations that trail the attacks, the perpetrators of these killings have neither been arrested nor prosecuted.
According to various accounts, the attacks exhibit peculiar but similar characteristics going for the lives of policemen and making away with their rifles
.
They go unsuspectingly, execute their mission and flee most times not resisted and without trial. No government or security agencies have been able to unmask the identities of these gunmen and it has not been established if the perpetrators are members of the same ring.
However, sources under pleaded anonymity suspect that they could be members of Eastern Security Network (ESN) a vigilante group created by outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) under the leadership of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
A 300 level student of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Akwa who simply gave his name as Desmond corroborated the fears of Mbadinuju saying “We are told Commissioner  Monday Bala Kuryas has served as Area Commander in Nsukka, Enugu State which means he should understand the terrain but nothing has changed and this is election years. We don’t even see the police chasing criminals. The ones we see are sent to the roads to collect money and that is all,” he volunteered.
Reacting, the new Command spokesman, DSP Nkenga Tochukwu to NAOSRE on Tuesday afternoon that those who complain that they are not seeing uniformed officers on the roads are right “Because the Command does more of convert operations {Deployment of intelligent officers on towns and villages} and we have been making success,”
Tochukwu added that it will not be correct to single out Anambra State as security pruned saying that “This is a trying period to everyone. No state is totally free from insecurity. But at the Anambra State Command, I can tell you that we are doing our best,” the DSP submitted.
Commissioner  Monday Bala Kuryas who hails from Kurya Dadu in Jaba Local Government Area of Kaduna State assumed duty as the 29th Commissioner of Police (CP) in Anambra.
He replaced Mr. John Abang who has been elevated to the rank of Assistant Inspector General of Police.

Politics

2027 BATTLE: How Much Nigeria Can Save, Invest In Infrastructure By Rotating Power Among Six Geo-political Zones For A Single Term Of Five Or Six Years

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2027 BATTLE: How Much Nigeria Can Save, Invest In Infrastructure By Rotating Power Among Six Geo-political Zones For A Single Term Of Five Or Six Years

As a Southernern, particularly from the South East Geo-Political Zone, I believe the most potent argument for us in 2027 is that the North/South zoning arrangement of political power at the center is a scam. It’s a scam because it has only benefitted the South West and the North West geo-political zones since the return of ‘democracy’ (civil rule) in Nigeria on May 29, 1999. Nigeria, it must be clarified has six geo-political zones, not two.

Nigeria was divided into six geo-political zones in 1996 by the military government of General Sanni Abacha. This new zoning arrangement was a brainchild of the 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference chaired by the late Justice Adolphus Karibi-Whyte and empaneled by General Sanni Abacha.

At that Conference, no less a person than former Vice President Chief Alex Ekwueme and a group called Mkpoko Igbo proposed that since Nigeria will now be divided into six geo-political zones, to give all zones a sense of belonging within the Nigerian State, that power at the center should rotate among the six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years. In their thinking, if power was rotated among the six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years, within 30 years or 36 years, all six zones would have had one of their own leading Nigeria, particularly, from their first 11 (primus inter pares). The North and the South West delegations at that conference pooh-poohed Chief Alex Ekwueme and summarily shut down that all-important proposal. The rest they say is history.

More than 30 years later, there is yet no national peace, national cohesion, national political stability, national unity, and national loyalty to the Nigerian State. Had the proposal of Chief Alex Ekwueme and Mkpoko Igbo been adopted and implemented since 1999, at least, the 5th Geo-Political Zone would have had one of their own in Aso Villa today, and by 2035, the last geo-political zone would have being sending us one of their own to contest the Presidency across Nigeria’s current 18 political parties. This mathematics is if we had gone with a single term of six years (the maximum limit) as proposed by Dr. Ekwueme and the South East and South South delegates in that 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference.

Fast forward to today, in his recent Arise TV interview, and in some other public and private fora, H.E. Atiku Abubakar asked for Dr. Ekwueme’s forgiveness as he was among key Northern delegates in that Constitutional Conference from the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua group that opposed the rotational presidency among Nigeria’s geo-political zones. Waziri Adamawa had disclosed that he even apologized to Alex Ekwueme when he visited Oko, Anambra State, to pay homage to the former late vice president sometime in 2017/2018.

By and large, for 2027, I believe that the most potent argument that will sell in the South East is that the North East where Waziri Adamawa hails from, just like the South East (our region), had also been marginalized in the scheme of things in Nigeria. Aside from Alhaji Tafawa Balewa from Bauchi State (North East), nobody from the region/zone has been head of national government, head of state, or even president since 1966.

So, H.E. Atiku Abubakar is right in contesting the Presidential election billed for January 16, 2027, to right this wrong, and return Nigeria’s presidency to an equitable distribution of power at the center. When elected, and it’s entrenched in the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended), that power rotates among the six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years, this new formula will bring about national peace, national cohesion, national unity, and tremendously commandeer national loyalty among Nigerians from across the six geo-political zones for their beloved country, the Nigerian State.

As a budding political scientist of repute and ardent student of contemporary Nigerian history and politics, let me tell us what this formular would do for the Nigerian State. The battle for the soul of the Nigerian State will be ferocious at the zonal level, while the center will become unattractive. So, let’s say it is the turn of the North East Geo-Political Zone to produce the Presidency in 2027, the battle to gift Nigerians their First 11 (primus inter pares) will be ferocious across the States in the region. The people of Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, Gombe, Taraba, and Yobe will now be more interested in partisan politics, thus being proactive participants within the current 18 political parties in Nigeria.

Giving Nigeria’s configurations and peculiarities, one of the positives of this political proactiveness is that it’s a win-win situation for the entire region if a man from Adamawa becomes President of Nigeria in 2027. The people from Yobe, Borno, Taraba, Gombe, and Bauchi will be largely happy, contented, hold their peace, love Nigeria better, and be more loyal to the Nigerian State because one of their own is now the GCFR, the primus inter pares, and the No. 1 Citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The steep insecurity that has ravaged the North East Geo-Political Zone since 2009, largely owing to perceived agelong marginalisation, oppression, injustices, would largely die down.

This will be the same case for the South East Geo-Political Zone. Biafra secessionist agitations, IPOB, ESN led by Nnamdi Kanu, will die a natural death. Justice and equity for all breeds contentment among men, and contentment among men births peace, unity, commandeers loyalty, and tremendously brings about prosperity. I stand to be challenged on this self-evident truth on any national television station.

When it is the turn of another region to produce the Presidency, after the North East has had their turn, all political parties in Nigeria must constitutionally present a Presidential candidate from the region whose turn it is to produce the presidency for a single term of six years. This rotational presidency formula must be entrenched in Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) by May 29, 2027.

I avow that rotational presidency among Nigeria’s six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years is the best political science solution to the agelong hydra-headed problem of Nigeria, especially in the guise of disunity, unpeaceful, and disloyalty problems among Nigerian citizens. Doing this will also largely curtail the executive rascalities, legislative rascalities, and judicial rascalities currently being perpetrated by the Bola Ahmed Tinubu led Executive arm; the Godswill Akpabio led Legislative arm; and the CJN Kudirat Motonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun led Judiciary arm.

The over desperation of getting re-elected for a second term in office, as shown today by Bola Tinubu, will be eraced for future Nigerian Presidents. The humongous money and depletion of Nigeria’s national treasury just for seeking re-election at all cost, and conducting elections will also be erased.

The Highfalutin, Draining Cost Of Conducting Elections In Nigeria?

For the 2023 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) proposed N305 billion in May 2022, which was a 62 percent increase over the 2019 budget. Ultimately, the National Assembly approved N355 billion for the exercise, though the commission spent N313.4 billion as of September 2023.

For the 2027 general election, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan proposed a total budget of N873.78 billion to the National Assembly in February 2026. This proposal includes N375.75 billion for election operations, N209.21 billion for technology, and N92.31 billion for administrative costs. The Bola Ahmed Tinubu led APC regime had previously allocated N1.01 trillion to INEC in the 2026 budget presented in January 2026.

Ladies and gentlemen, INEC’s election budget ballooned from N355 billion in 2023 to a whopping N873.78 billion for a re-election season in 2027? This is approximately a percentage increase of 146.13%. This is unacceptable, opprobrious, and insalubrious.

If we entrench in the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended), zoning the presidency among the six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years, this proposed N873.78 billion to coduct the 2027 re-election season would have been eliminated.

What Can N873.78 billion Do For Nigerians In Terms Of Infrastructural Developmental Projects?

If hypothetically redirected or matched in scale for infrastructure development, N873.78 billion could significantly advance Nigeria’s infrastructure across key sectors:

1. Roads and Transportation: This amount could fund the rehabilitation of over 10,000 kilometers (6213.712 miles) of rural and urban roads, especially when combined with technical support from institutions like the World Bank’s RAAMP-SU project.

It could complete critical projects like the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway or support the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, enhancing regional connectivity and trade.

2. Railway Development: Based on past projects, N873 billion could finance a new 600–800 km (373-497 miles) standard gauge rail line, similar to the Abuja-Kaduna or Lagos-Ibadan lines, which were partially funded by Chinese loans.

Rail expansion would boost freight movement, reduce road congestion, and create thousands of jobs.

3. Power and Energy: The sum could support renewable energy projects, such as solar mini-grids for 10,000 rural communities, or fund transmission infrastructure to reduce power losses.

For context, Power Africa facilitated $63 million in renewable energy investments over 26 months—N873 billion could scale such efforts dramatically.

4. Water and Sanitation: Funds could build or upgrade water treatment plants, boreholes, and sanitation systems in underserved urban and rural areas, improving public health and reducing waterborne diseases.

5. Agricultural Infrastructure: The NSIA’s Multipurpose Industrial Platform Ltd (MIPL) in Akwa Ibom, including an ammonia and fertilizer plant, is a multi-billion-dollar project. N873 billion could fund multiple such agro-industrial hubs, boosting food security and reducing import dependence.

Analyzing The Current Infrastructure Spending In Nigeria In Relation To N873.78 Billion?

For comparison, Nigeria’s actual infrastructure allocations are much lower than the humongous money INEC is proposing to conduct the shaky 2027 general elections in Nigeria.

The 2025 Federal Budget allocated ₦4.06 trillion ($2.7 billion) for infrastructure—about 7.4% of total spending.
The National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIMP) aims to raise infrastructure stock to 70% of GDP by 2043, requiring $100 billion annually—far above current spending levels.

Pension funds invested ₦262.57 billion in infrastructure in the first 10 months of 2025. This is below N873.78 billion being earmarked for the 2027 elections.

Without mincing words, let me aver that the N873.78 billion could transform infrastructural developmental projects in Nigeria, But the fact that this amount is proposed for elections, not infrastructural developmental projects, highlights a mismatch between public needs and government spending priorities in Nigeria, especially under the disastrous APC regime of Bola Tinubu.

Conclusion

While N873.78 billion is earmarked for elections, its scale underscores what Nigeria could achieve in infrastructure if similar resources were consistently invested. Redirecting even a fraction of election budgets toward roads, power, rail, water, and agriculture could accelerate economic growth, create jobs, and improve quality of life in Nigeria. However, transparency, accountability, and long-term planning are essential to ensure such investments yield lasting benefits.

Finally, ladies and gentlemen, let’s consider the substantial ingredients of this political seminal and fix this mess of power rotation at the center among Nigeria’s six geo-political zones for a single term of five or six years. Let’s stop wasting scarce resources in Nigeria conducting re-elections at the center and across state levels. Let’s stop wasting everybody’s time in Nigeria.

Ikenna Asomba is a political scientist and journalist. He writes from the State of Illinois, United States.

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2027 BOMBSHELL: Dismantling The Myth Around Kwankwaso’s So-Called Electoral Dominance In Kano

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2027 BOMBSHELL: Dismantling The Myth Around Kwankwaso’s So-Called Electoral Dominance In Kano

2027 BOMBSHELL: Dismantling The Myth Around Kwankwaso’s So-Called Electoral Dominance In Kano

As political permutations ahead of the 2027 presidential election gather momentum, there is a growing attempt by supporters of Alhaji Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and elements within the Kwankwasiyya Movement to rewrite history by claiming that Kwankwaso was solely responsible for delivering massive votes to late President Muhammadu Buhari in Kano during previous elections.
But historical electoral records tell a completely different story.
For years, Muhammadu Buhari enjoyed a cult-like political following across Kano and the wider Arewa North long before any alliance with Kwankwaso emerged. The numbers consistently show that Buhari’s popularity in Kano was deeply personal and independent of Kwankwaso’s political structure.
Consider the facts:
• In 2003, Buhari secured over 1.6 million votes in Kano despite Kwankwaso serving as governor under the PDP. Kwankwaso failed to deliver Kano to President Olusegun Obasanjo.
• In 2007, Buhari again polled about 1 million votes in Kano, while Kwankwaso could not swing the state for Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and the PDP.
• In 2011, Buhari received about 1.6 million votes in Kano even with then-Governor Ibrahim Shekarau also commanding influence in the state. Ironically, Kwankwaso himself benefited from Buhari’s grassroots popularity while reclaiming the governorship.
• In 2019, Buhari secured about 1.4 million votes in Kano, yet Kwankwaso failed to deliver the state for Atiku Abubakar and the PDP. His political camp also lost all senatorial seats and struggled badly in House of Representatives contests.
• In 2023, Kwankwaso contested as a presidential candidate but failed to reach the symbolic 1 million-vote mark in Kano, polling 997,279 votes in his supposed political stronghold.
2027 BOMBSHELL: Dismantling The Myth Around Kwankwaso’s So-Called Electoral Dominance In Kano
These realities raise serious questions about the repeated claim that Kwankwaso “delivered” 1.9 million votes to Buhari in 2015. The evidence instead suggests that Kwankwaso rode on Buhari’s unmatched northern popularity to strengthen his own political relevance.
History has consistently shown that Kano voters separate presidential politics from local political alliances. Buhari’s electoral strength predated Kwankwaso and survived multiple political realignments.
This is why many political observers believe Peter Obi and sections of the Obidient Movement may be overestimating Kwankwaso’s actual electoral influence ahead of 2027. Similar calculations failed for Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan, and Atiku in previous election cycles.
Political noise on social media does not always translate to electoral dominance at the ballot box.
As 2027 approaches, Nigerians will once again witness whether Kwankwaso truly commands independent electoral machinery capable of determining presidential outcomes in Kano and the wider North, or whether his perceived influence has been exaggerated over the years.
By the time the ballots are counted, the difference between online propaganda and political reality may become clearer than ever before.
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I am fully ready for the 2027 general elections”-  ADP, presidential aspirant, Prof. Omolaja, declares

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I am fully ready for the 2027 general elections"-  ADP, presidential aspirant, Prof. Omolaja, declares. By Comrade Samson Ajibade Alabi, NLP Media Director

I am fully ready for the 2027 general elections”-  ADP, presidential aspirant, Prof. Omolaja, declares.

By Comrade Samson Ajibade Alabi, NLP Media Director

 

 

A presidential aspirant under the Action Democratic Party (ADP), Prof  Muhammad Omolaja, has said that he is fully ready for the 2027 general elections especially the presidential contest.

Prof. Omolaja who disclosed this in an exclusive interview with pressmen in Abuja on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, said he has done his consultations with leaders of the Party, boasting that he is the next president of Nigeria by the grace of God.

He submitted that he has won the heart of the people at the grassroots across all the States and geopolitical zones including the federal capital territory (FCT); and convinced them about his clear vision and mission for Nigeria.

According to him, Nigerians are tired of the APC government and ready to vote them out in favour of his Party; the ADP!

Prof. Omolaja added that ADP is the only Party that can liberate Nigeria and rescue the citizens from the prevailing insecurity and other challenges facing the country.

 

I am fully ready for the 2027 general elections"-  ADP, presidential aspirant, Prof. Omolaja, declares.
By Comrade Samson Ajibade Alabi, NLP Media Director

The presidential aspirant said “you are asking me if I am ready for the 2027 general elections or not, I hereby inform you categorically that I am fully ready for the election; we have done what to be done, we have systematically carried Nigerians along in our preparations especially the people at the grassroots; and we have let them know that ADP is the only credible alternative Party that can liberate them from all the challenges the country is facing under the prevailing APC government. I am confident that I will get the ticket of our great Party being the leading contestant, and win the upcoming 2027 presidential election by the special grace of the Almighty God”

He therefore urged Nigerians to rally support for him and his Party (ADP) at the polls in the spirit of peace, love, unity, and patriotism in Nigeria.

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