Top 23 African Cities with the Highest Number of Billionaires...See Where Lagos, Abuja Ranked

File photo: Lekki, Lagos, Nigeria

 

AfraAsia Bank's Africa Wealth Report 2017 has made a comparison of 23 African cities with the highest number of billionaires as at the year 2016.

 

In the list of 23 countries, Lagos, Nigeria's former capital came 4th, only topped by two South-African cities; Johannesburg and Cape Town as well as the Egyptian city of Cairo.

 

Here is the list of cities and the number of multi-millionaires they have respectively:

 

1. Johannesburg (incl. Sandton) - 970

2. Cairo - 480

3. Cape Town - 440

4. Lagos - 360

5. Nairobi - 280

6. Luanda - 240

7. Durban (incl. Umhlanga) - 130

8. Pretoria - 110

9. Casablanca - 110

10. Accra - 100

11. Abidjan - 90

12. Algiers - 90

13. Alexandria - 110

14. Windhoek - 60

15. Dar Es Salaam - 50

16. Gaborone - 50

17. Mombasa - 40

18. Abuja - 40

19. Addis Ababa - 40

20. Kampala - 40

21. Maputo - 40

22. Lusaka - 30

23. Marrakesh - 30

 

With no other Nigerian cities listed, the nation’s commercial nerve-centre automatically clinches the wealthiest spot among Nigerian major cities.

 

The report is the result of New World Wealth’s extensive research covering the wealth market in Africa which report covers wealth, luxury, prime property, collectable and wealth management trends on the continent from 2006 to 2016, with projections to 2026. 

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Abuja Airport Closure: FG Names Eight Emergency Centres

The Federal Government has named eight primary response centres and 10 governmental and non-governmental organisations to provide emergency medical services in case of accidents.

The eight health facilities which are situated in Kaduna and Niger states include Umar Yar’Adua Specialist Hospital; Anglican Mission Hospital, Katari; General Hospital, Doka; and the Federal Road Safety Corps Clinic, Kakau.

Others are the Primary Healthcare Centre, Duste; Rigasa Health Centre; St. Gerard’s Hospital, Kakuri; and the National Eye Centre, Kaduna.

Ten partners have been listed to coordinate and manage emergency situations. They are the FRSC, Nigeria Police Force, NEMA, Federal Fire Service and the National Blood Transfusion Service.

Others are the Association of Medical Social Workers of Nigeria; Kaduna State Ministry of Health; Niger State Ministry of Health; Federal Capital Territory Health and Human Services Secretariat; and the Ministry of Defence.

The decision was taken in preparation for the closure of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and the transfer of its services to the Kaduna Airport, with effect from March 8, 2017.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire, made the announcement during a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday to inform the public on plans for the NAIA temporary closure.

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BREAKING News: Abuja Court Orders Immediate Release & Compensation of Shi'a Leader, El-Zakzaky

An Abuja Division of the Federal High Court on Friday ordered the release of the leader of the Shi'a Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky.

 

The leader of the Shi’a Islamic Movement in Nigeria, Ibrahim El-Zakzaky, who was arrested by the military on December 14, 2015, after a clash between the movement and officers of the Nigerian army, has been ordered to be released by the Federal High Court sitting on Friday in Abuja.

 

According to Premium Times, El-Zakzaky had approached the court to demand his release, months after he was arrested without being charged to Court. He asked the Court to declare that his arrest and continued detention violated his fundamental rights.

 

The influential cleric's legal counsel and human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, said the court should declare that the continued detention of his client without charging him, was unlawful.

 

Justice Gabriel Kolawole, while delivering the judgement, rejected the submission of the counsel to the State Security Service, Tijjani Gazali, that El-Zakzaky was kept in protective custody of the SSS, adding that the decision to hold the Islamic cleric and his wife for their safety was not based on law.

 

“I have not been shown any incident report or any complaint lodged by residents around the neighbourhood that the applicant has become a nuisance to his neigbourhood,” said the judge, adding that the decision of the government to hold the applicant for so long amounted to great danger.

 

Citing the death of former leader of the Boko Haram leader, Mohammed Yusuf, the judge said; “If the applicant dies in custody which I do not pray for, it could result in many needless deaths”.

 

Justice Kolawole said the government should within 45 days release the applicant and his family to the police, who shall within 24 hours take them, guarded by escort, to a safe place, adding that the SSS will pay a fine of N25 million each to El-Zakzaky and his wife, making N50 million.

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He Never Told Me He's Married with 6 Children - Abuja Lady Cries Out as She Seeks Divorce in Court

A lady who is seeking divorce in a suit she filed on Tuesday told a Court in Abuja that her husband married her in deceit by concealing that he had a wife and six children.

Illustrative photo

 

Speaking at a Customary Court sitting in the Jikwoyi area of FCT Abuja on Tuesday, a clothe maker, Mrs Lydia Dallah, disclosed that her husband married her in deceit by concealing that he had a wife and six children. 

 

According to a shocking report by Vanguard, the seamstress who is seeking divorce and testified in a suit she filed, said that she never knew about her husband, Yakubu’s previous marriage after she tied the knot with him.

 

“He never told me that he had an existing marriage with six children. It was after I got married to him that I discovered the whole truth about him; whenever I told him to let me go, he threatened my life,”Lydia submitted. 

 

Speaking further, the woman told the court that Yakubu beat her with a standing fan for seeking divorce. 

“He even destroyed some valuables in the house; I was rescued by our neighbours who heard me shouting and crying out for help. 

“I later sought medical attention in a nearby pharmacy, and reported the incident to the police who then invited him,” she said. 

 

She said that she had reported the matter to her family and her church to see if she could get help but to no avail. 

“My family and our pastor advised us, pleaded with him and sought to know what he wanted, to grant me divorce. 

“He said that he wanted the two children of the marriage. I beg this court to dissolve my marriage and grant me the custody of my children,” she pleaded. 

 

The respondent, Yakubu, however, denied many of the allegations as the Presiding Judge, Labaran Gusau, adjourned the case until Nov. 16, for continuation of hearing.

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Abuja High Court Summons President Buhari, DSS & Others to Appear Nov 15th...Find Out Why

President Muhammadu Buhari and the DG of the Department of State Service, have been summoned by the he Abuja Division of the Federal High Court to show cause why seven judges arrested between October 7 and 8 should be prosecuted.

President Buhari

 

The Abuja Division of the Federal High Court, on Friday, ordered President Muhammadu Buhari and the Director-General of the Department of State Service, DSS, Mr. Lawal Daura, to appear on November 15 to show cause why seven judges arrested between October 7 and 8 should be prosecuted. 

 

Others equally summoned to appear before the court were the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, and the National Judicial Council, NJC. 

 

They were all cited as Respondents in a legal action that was instituted before the high court by a Lagos-based lawyer, Mr. Olukoya Ogungbeje. Though President Buhari will not appear in person, he is expected to brief a lawyer to represent him before the court on that date. 

 

The plaintiff had in the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/809/16, applied for an order of perpetual injunction restraining the Respondents from arresting, inviting, intimidating, or harassing any of the judges whose homes were raided in the “sting operation” conducted by the DSS. He contended that the arrest and detention of the judges without recourse to the NJC, was not only unconstitutional, but also aimed at ridiculing the judiciary arm of government. 

 

According to him, the action of the DSS was in gross violation of rights of the judges as enshrined in sections 33, 34, 35, 36, and 41 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended. Consequently, Ogungbeje sought ten separate reliefs from the court, including award of N50billion as general and exemplary damages against the Respondents, as well as another N2million as cost of the suit. He equally prayed the court for an order compelling the DSS to return to the judges, money that were seized from their homes. 

 

Meanwhile, in a bench ruling on Friday, Justice Gabriel Kolawole directed that copies of the relevant court processes be served on all the Respondents. The Judge held that the Respondents are entitled to within seven days, respond to the suit. 

 

However, Justice Kolawole refused an ex-parte motion the plaintiff filed with a view to securing an interim order stopping the Respondents from taking “any untoward action” against the embattled Judges, pending determination of the suit. The Judge said he needed to resolve a number of issues, including the locus-standi of the plaintiff, before he could make a pronouncement on the prayer. 

 

He said such resolution could only be made in an inter-party hearing involving all the Respondents. 

 

Specifically, the plaintiff had through his counsel, Mr. Ayo Ogundele, sought, “An order of interim injunction restraining the respondents, their agents, servants, privies, men, officers or anybody deriving authority from them by whatever name called from further arresting, intimidating, arresting, inviting, seizing or taking any untoward action against the arrested and affected honourable judges and judicial officers pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.”

 

In a 39-paragraph affidavit he deposed in support of the substantive suit, the plaintiff averred: “That the 1st (President Buhari), 2nd (DG of DSS), 3rd (DSS), 4th (AGF), and 5th (Inspector-General of Police) respondents never filed any petition against the affected judges the 6th respondent (NJC).

 

“That the 6th respondent is the only body empowered by the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to discipline judges and judicial officers in Nigeria. That the judiciary is an independent arm of government in Nigeria and separate from the executive and the legislature.

 

“That this illegal and unconstitutional action by the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th respondents have been roundly condemned by the Nigerian Bar Association.

 

“That the 2nd (DG of DSS), 3rd (DSS), and 5th (IGP) respondents carried out their action which brazenly infringed upon the rights of the affected five judges without lawful excuse or recourse to the 6th respondent”.

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Oh Lord! This Car Accident Scene in Abuja Will Shock You (Photo)

This picture was taken from a fresh accident scene in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja with fuzzy details about the victim(s).

 

This is an accident scene on Oladipo Diya Way, after Prince and Princess Estate junction at Gudu in Abuja on Wednesday.

 

The car as seen in the picture was badly mangled but fortunately no life was lost.

 

People were seen gathering round and marvelling at the shocking occurrence.

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Abuja Men Explain Why They Don’t Wear Wedding Rings

Some married men in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have said that not wearing wedding rings is not to disrespect the marriage bond.

The residents who spoke in Abuja on Monday, described wearing of marriage rings as a mere symbol.

Mr Ikenna Ibegbu, an Abuja-based businessman, said that he disliked the idea of wearing any kind of jewellery.

“Personally, I don’t appreciate the idea of wearing jewellery on my body because they make me uncomfortable. I prefer to leave my hands bare and that does not mean I don’t respect the sacredness of marriage. Women are the ones that are conscious of wearing jewellery and the ring is just a symbol,” he said.

According to him, wearing the marriage ring can be discomforting but some men do so to respect their spouse.

He said that respecting the concept of marriage fell more on the individual than a mere symbol.

Mr George Edem, a banker said that most men do not wear their marriage ring due to the nature of their jobs.

“There are men who will hardly wear their marriage rings because of the kind of jobs they do; it can be discomforting to them while working.

“You will hardly find a doctor that constantly wears his marriage ring because their job requires pulling it at intervals to wash hands and do other things.

“For that kind of person, he will rather keep the ring in a safe place than removing it at intervals which can make him lose it,” he said.

He also said there were some men who would prefer to use the ring as a pendant for a necklace than misplace it.

Edem said that jewellery were generally perceived to be a feminine thing.

He said that most men who rarely wore their marriage rings had gained weight over the years, hence the ring no longer fits.

Mr Henry Okpala, a Computer Engineer, said he oftentimes forget to put on his marriage ring.

“I don’t forget that I am married because I live with the consciousness always.

“So slipping a metal band on my left hand to signify the obvious is not a huge priority for me.

“If I am making my marriage a priority, the ring does not matter,’’ he said.

Mrs Evangeline Udoka, a fashion designer, said “80 per cent of men have put on weight after marriage, so the wedding ring no longer fit them.

“When they were single, they ate food occasionally and their fingers were slimmer compared to when they got married and eat regularly.

“The constant feeding contributed to their weight gain and their fingers outgrow the size of the ring.

“Besides, men always want to present themselves as single to cheat on their spouse while others don’t regard the ring as a show of marriage,” she said.

She said that women were keener in buying a new one to replace the old rings when their finger outgrows it.

She, however, said that there were honest men who do not cheat on their spouse, but view wearing of rings abnormal.

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Patience Jonathan Faces Fresh Probe Over N5b Abuja Hotel

Former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan appears to have more explanation to make to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) besides the $19 million just frozen in her accounts.
Mrs. Jonathan has just been linked with five choice properties including a N5billion hotel in Abuja, The Nation gathered yesterday. The EFCC is currently studying documents on how the Abuja hotel (names withheld) was built.

It has also dispatched a team of investigators to Yenagoa, Bayelsa State and Port Harcourt, Rivers State for the purpose of establishing the ownership of four properties in the two cities.
The anti-graft agency is likely to confiscate the five properties once it is able to confirm that they belong to Mrs. Jonathan.
One of the pieces of evidence the EFCC has in its possession in its probe of the ex-First Lady is her cumulative pay and perks as a civil servant in Bayelsa State where she rose to the post of Permanent Secretary.

Sources said the pay details are far below the $31million which the ex-First Lady claimed as her legitimately earned money.
The EFCC is insisting that Mrs. Jonathan must account for how she came about the cash wired into the five accounts to which she is a signatory or forfeit it to the Federal Government. One of the sources familiar with the probe said the money used in acquiring the properties under investigation appears to be gratification to Mrs. Jonathan when her husband was in power.

The source said: “Based on intelligence report, we have isolated five properties allegedly identified with the ex-First Lady. These properties include a N5billion hotel in Abuja and four others in Yenagoa and Port Harcourt.
“A special team has gone to verify all these assets in the affected areas including the contractors engaged, the mode of payment to them, relevant land registration documents, and associates used as fronts.
“In the next few days, we will start questioning all those involved in the acquisition or building of the assets. We are lucky that this investigation has a lot of e-transaction and computerization components. There is no hiding place for anyone involved.

“If at the end of the day the five assets belong to the ex-First Lady, we will approach the court to place all these assets under Interim Assets Forfeiture in line with Sections 28 and 34 of the EFCC (Establishment Act) 2004 and Section 13(1) of the Federal High Court Act, 2004.”
Section 28 of the EFCC Act stipulates that: “Where a person is arrested for an offence under this Act, the Commission shall immediately trace and attach all the assets and properties of the person acquired as a result of such economic or financial crime and shall thereafter cause to be obtained an interim attachment order from the Court.”

Section 13 of the Federal High Court Act reads in part: “The Court may grant an injunction or appoint a receiver by an interlocutory order in all cases in which it appears to the Court to be just or convenient so to do.
“Any such order may be made either unconditionally or on such terms and conditions as the Court thinks just.”
Responding to a question, the source said: “If our investigation reveals that the assets are not owned by Mrs. Patience Jonathan, we will return them to their legitimate owners.”

The Nation also gathered that the EFCC is not about to defreeze Mrs. Jonathan’s accounts under investigation.
“We have retrieved documents on the pay package and monetized perks of Mrs. Patience Jonathan when she was a Permanent Secretary in the government of Bayelsa State. Her total emoluments do not tally with the funds remitted into the five accounts,” an EFCC source said.
“She owes us a duty to explain how she came about these funds. Our investigation showed that the funds came from gratifications; it is left to her to prove otherwise.

“The good thing is that the ex-First Lady was the one who sued EFCC demanding the release of her $31million. She has a duty as a former public officer to explain how she earned the funds. Did she declare these funds in her Assets Declaration Form as a Permanent Secretary?
“We are happy that the case is in court and the onus is on her to prove ‘beyond reasonable doubt’ that she is the owner of the funds. If we had initiated the action, some people by now will be accusing EFCC of witch-hunt.

“But she went to court to exercise her rights under the law. The same law demands that you must seek equity with clean hands. I think the press should take more than a passing interest in what is going on in the court.”

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Diezani Forfeits N4.8b Abuja Houses To Govt

Detectives have been deployed in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, in the ongoing probe of former Minister of Petroleum Resources Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke. Of interest are five choice houses believed to be Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s.

It is all part of the last leg of the investigation of the ex-minister in collaboration with the National Crime Agency in the United Kingdom. Amid the Port Harcourt operation, another asset of the ex-Minister in Abuja, allegedly worth over N500million, has been confiscated pending her trial.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) had earlier seized a mansion worth N3.58billion from the ex-minister, bringing the haul in Abuja to about N4.08billion of assets believed to be hers.
The EFCC received intelligence report on the property allegedly acquired by Mrs. Alison-Madueke in Port Harcourt.
The tracking of the assets is said to be part of the probe of about $10billion allegedly looted in cash and assets by some former public officers. The properties under surveillance in Port Harcourt are said to be worth over N3billion

According to the Nation, a top source in EFCC, who spoke in confidence, said: “Based on latest intelligence, we have been able to trace more choice assets to Mrs. Alison-Madueke in Port Harcourt. We have drafted more operatives in Rivers State.
“We have identified more than five of such assets but we need to verify the ownership by going through some documents before attaching the properties in line with our mandate.

“In the next one week, our team in Port Harcourt would have completed their assignment. We will then release the value of the assets. “We are also on the trail of some accomplices who were used for the property deals.”

Responding to a question, the source said: “We are still working in collaboration with NCA in the UK. I think we are getting closer to the final leg of the Mrs. Alison-Madueke probe.”
Another property, which is believed to be worth N500million, has been seized from the ex-minister. The source said the property is believed to be at Frederick Chiluba Close in Asokoro District in Abuja. 

The asset is now placed under interim forfeiture until the court decides otherwise,” he added.

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Super Eagles Coach, Rohr Rejects Abuja House

Super Eagles coach Gernot Rohr has rejected a three-bedroom provided for him in Abuja by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), saying it is “too big”.

The 63-year-old Rohr, who is married to an African, has inspected the three-bedroom property in Jabi, but has now told officials he could do with a much smaller apartment.

An official accommodation is part of the benefits captured in the two-year contract the Franco-German has signed to qualify Nigeria to the 2018 World Cup.

Already, the NFF have moved fast to also provide an official car for the former Gabon and Burkina Faso coach.

The official car first purchased to be used by Sunday Oliseh is now being fixed after it was used by Olympic team handler Samson Siasia beyond his time in temporary charge of the Eagles for the AFCON 2017 qualifiers against Egypt in March.

Rohr is on a staggering $47,000 a month and this salary is being bankrolled by a mystery sponsor.

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Sallah: NRC Also Goes On Break, Suspends Abuja-Kaduna Train Service

The Nigerian Railways Corporation (NRC) has suspended its passenger train service from Abuja to Kaduna on Monday and Tuesday because of the Eid el-Kabir public holidays.

Yakub Mahmood, the Deputy Director, Public Relations of the NRC, made this known in Lagos on today.

Mr. Mahmood said the period would also be used to carry out comprehensive
maintenance of the train. He assured passengers that the Abuja-Kaduna train service would resume on Wednesday.

“The corporation highly regrets any inconvenience this may cause our esteemed passengers,” he said

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Unbelievable! Human-Sized Fish Caught by a Man in Abuja Breaks Internet (Photos)

A massive fish caught by a fisherman in Abuja has been making rounds on the internet with no buyer yet due to the cut-throat price attached to it.

The fish in question This massive fish has been the center of attention at Apo Legislative Quarters junction in Abuja for days now. According to people who have approached the seller, the price of the fish which is almost as big as the size of a human is really outrageous. Rumours have it that the fish has been with the man for about two days without a buyer thereby generating fears that it may soon start to get rotten if not properly preserved. See the interaction about the fish on social media:

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Budget Padding: Jibrin’s Move To Seek Protection Against Suspension From House Fails

An Abuja Federal High Court, on Wednesday, refused to entertain two separate suits filed by a former Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Appropriation, Abdulmumin Jibrin, in regards to his travails over his padding allegations against some principal officers of the House.
Recall that Jibrin had on June 21, 2016, accused the Speaker of the House, Yakubu Dogara; his Deputy, Yusuf Lasun; Chief Whip’ Ado-Doguwa and Minority Leader, Leo Ogor of allegedly inserting over N40bn into the 2016 budget.

Some of the affected lawmakers had threatened to suspend Jibrin when the House reconvenes, stressing that he can’t go unpunished.

Jibrin in a bid to frustrate the move to suspend him, had filed a suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/595/2016, against the Speaker, Yakubu Dogara, his Deputy, Yusuf Lasun and other principal officers of the lower chamber seeking order to stop their alleged plan.

In the second suit marked, FHC/ABJ/CS/595/2016, the lawmaker also sought judicial relief stopping the respondents from violating his rights in the course of investigation of the alleged budget padding.

He sued the Police, the Inspector-General of Police, the Commissioner of Police, FCT Command; Dogara, and other principal officers of the House as well as the Attorney-General of the Federation.

But Justice Okon Abang, refused to hear the suit , saying the lawmaker failed to obtain leave of court to have his cases heard since the judiciary is on recess.

According to Justice Abang, “A matter filed during court vacation is not heard as a matter of cause.

“The applicant is expected to apply and obtain the leave of court to have his matter herd during the court vacation in line with the provisions of Order 46 Rule 5 of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules 2009. I so hold.

“This applicant did not do so. I do not have jurisdiction to even grant an adjournment of this suit.

“It is expected that the applicant will do the needful to comply with the provisions of the rules of this court.” 

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It is very regrettable that APC didn’t keep to their promise - Jimmy Agbaje

Former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for Lagos state in the 2015 election, Mr Jimi Agbaje has promised that he will lead the party back to winning ways if elected chairman of the party at the Portharcourt Convention.

He also said that PDP gave ‘way so that Nigerians can test what other parties have in stock. But it is regrettable that party has failed to provide the change promised.

Every youth in Nigeria will like to see PDP reformed, and the reformation has started.”

Speaking with Journalists shortly after he picked the nomination forms for the chairmanship position of the party in Abuja, Mr Agbaje said as a candidate who does not belong to any of the factions in the party, he stands a better chance to unite all the contending forces in the party.

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Armed policemen take over PDP national headquarters

Heavily armed policemen have taken over the national headquarters of the Peoples Democratic Party in Abuja.

This action, which was done on Sunday, was said to have been carried out by the police to prevent the breakdown of law and order at the secretariat.

A former Governor of Borno State, Sen. Ali Modu Sheriff, was removed by members of the party as the national chairman in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on Saturday.

Sheriff  however described the action of those that removed him and members of the National Working Committee was a nullity.

He said all the actions taken at the party’s national convention which he had postponed were null and void.

However, our correspondent gathered that the policemen were drafted to the secretariat to prevent Sheriff and some members of his sacked NWC from gaining entrance to the secretariat.

Sheriff had said that the emergency meeting of his NWC, was going to hold at the secretariat on Sunday (today).

The stern-looking riot policemen have however taken strategic positions in and around the secretariat to prevent entrance to the compound.

More than 30 armed policemen, who were led by an acting assistant superintendent of policemen,  prevented journalists from gaining entrance of coming close to the building.

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