The Returning Officer of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Supare Akoko, South West council area of Ondo state, in the just concluded governorship primary election, Alaba Abe, aka Excel, has reportedly been assassinated.

Abe, who was also the ward 10 coordinator of the party in the council area, served as the returning officer for Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa in the governorship primary election on April 20.

The victims death was confirmed by his elder brother, Samuel Abbey.

Samuel said that his brother was assassinated on Saturday at about 9 pm in front of his house.

In a swift reaction, the governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa Campaign Group, has appealed to the police authorities in the state to protect its members against implacable opponents.

While decrying the gruesome murder of the ward coordinator, the campaign group in a statement issued by its State Information Director of the organisation, Mr. Kayode Fasua, said that “the late Excel, was a resourceful coordinator, campaigning for the election of Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa until he was gruesomely murdered.

Fasua said that “he was shot in his Supare home on April 27.

He described the incident as a rude shock to members of the party in the council area, working for the election of the governor, come November, this year.

Also reacting, the Akoko Southwest Local Government Director-General for the campaign group, David Ajobiewe, equally described the incident as a rude shock.

“Excel had been a resourceful coordinator for the Aiyedatiwa campaign organisation in Ward 10 of Supare and was never known to be violent and never had any history of local or domestic dispute.

“We urge the police authorities to step up investigations into his gruesome murder and bring the perpetrators of the dastardly act to book.

Meanwhile, the Convener of the campaign group Dr. Oladipupo Okeyomi, has expressed the heartfelt condolences of Governor Aiyedatiwa, as well as the lamentation of the campaign group and the leadership of the APC in Ondo State, on the tragic loss.

He described the incident as terrible and uncalled for, expressing his sympathy with the family members, friends, and associates of the late Excel.

Contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Funmi Odunlami, said that ” In brief, the command is aware of the incident at Supare, investigation is ongoing to unravel all that happened.

Real Madrid president, Florentino Perez, blocked manager Carlo Ancelotti’s request to sign Harry Kane from Tottenham last summer, according to Relevo.

Ancelotti had made Kane his top target ahead of this season.

It is believed signing the England captain was even a bigger priority for him than landing Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund.

Ancelotti was looking to replace Karim Benzema, who left as a free agent for Al-Ittihad in Saudi Arabia.

But Perez refused to sanction the move, as he has set his sights on signing Kylian Mbappe this year.

Peres was willing to let Madrid play without a real number nine, before signing Mbappe on a free transfer.

Kane ended up joining Bayern Munich and has scored 42 goals in as many games in all competitions, helping Thomas Tuchel’s team to the Champions League semi-finals, where they will come up against Madrid.

Paris St Germain, PSG, were crowned Ligue 1 champions for a record-extending 12th time on Sunday, as their third straight title was wrapped up.

This was following another dominant domestic campaign when second-placed AS Monaco lost 3-2 at Olympique Lyonnais.

PSG, who missed the chance to secure the title on Saturday when they drew 3-3 draw with Le Havre, have 70 points, 12 ahead of Monaco with three games remaining.

“Winning the league is fantastic, but winning Ligue 1 for the twelfth time is even more special for everyone connected to Paris Saint-Germain.

“We’re going to enjoy this moment as a family. And also keep working hard, game after game, until the last moment of the season,” PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi said on the club’s website.

Monaco were the only side left who could prevent PSG lifting the title, but their faint hopes were extinguished in Lyon as they fell to their first defeat in nine games, despite taking an early lead.

The visitors scored with a little over 20 seconds on the clock, with Wissam Ben Yedder tapping home Takumi Minamino’s cross at the back post.

But Monaco were 2-1 down within 25 minutes through goals from Alexandre Lacazette and Said Benrahma.

Ben Yedder brought the sides level again on the hour mark, heading home a floated ball into the box by Youssouf Fofana.

But it was Lyon who found a winner six minutes from time with Malick Fofana scoring from outside the area.

After Saturday’s draw which kept the champagne on ice, PSG manager Luis Enrique was unconcerned, safe in the knowledge that their far superior goal difference meant the title was all but assured.

“We’re champions. I don’t care if there’s a party or not.

“We have a goal difference of plus 29 on the second place, I already feel like champions. Even if we don’t score any more points, we’ll be champions,” the coach said.

The Spaniard, who took over at PSG at the end of last season, was proved right, as they secured their 10th title in 12 seasons without having to play another game.

The champions have suffered just one league defeat this season, against Nice in September and while they made a slow start to their campaign, once they took top spot after matchday 12, they never looked back.

PSG went 3-1 down to relegation battling Le Havre, but a Goncalo Ramos goal late in added time salvaged a point, and extended their unbeaten league run to 26 games, but the manager said that didn’t concern him.

“I don’t care if I’m undefeated. That goal gave us the title.

“That, and for the rage I had because we didn’t play much. We’re missing two titles, we’re going to do everything we can to get them,” Luis Enrique said.

PSG are still involved in the Champions League, and they also have the Coupe de France final against Lyon to come, in what could turn out to be the club’s finest ever season.

Striker Kylian Mbappe is leaving at the end of the campaign, and would love to bow out on a high, and this season is already his best in terms of goals scored, netting 43 times in all competitions.

It has long been PSG’s goal to win the Champions League, but few expected it in the manager’s first season.

Now that the league title is secured, the treble-bid is on, beginning on Wednesday with the semi-final first leg against Borussia Dortmund. (Reuters/NAN) (www.nannews.ng)

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, has said their remaining two away fixtures at Fulham and Tottenham will be “difficult.”

Guardiola was speaking after they beat Nottingham Forest 2-0 on Sunday.

The result keeps City one point behind leaders Arsenal, although they have one game in hand. 

On the remainder of the season, Guardiola said: “Everything can happen, Liverpool have dropped points in the last few games but that can happen to us, can happen to Arsenal, so tough games for everyone. Fulham away and Spurs away will be difficult.

“I would prefer not to have a long week [off] and to play the Champions League semi final.

“But in the circumstances we have two or three days to recover and prepare for all the finals that we have.”

The judicial commission of inquiry on public properties and assets established by Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf of Kano State to probe the previous administration led by former Governor Abdullahi Ganduje has scheduled its inaugural session for today.

The commission’s secretary, Salisu Mustapha, said this in a letter addressed to the director-general media and publicity, Kano State Government House on Saturday.

The session will take place at High Court No. 3 within the Audu Bako Secretariat by 10am prompt.
Earlier this month, Governor Yusuf inaugurated two judicial commissions of inquiry (JCI) to investigate instances of misappropriation of public properties and assets, political violence, and missing persons between 2015 and 2023.

During the inauguration of the JCI members, Governor Yusuf pledged to hold accountable anyone found culpable, emphasizing his commitment to uncovering and prosecuting those responsible for political violence in the state before and during previous elections.

The governor urged the commission to thoroughly investigate cases of misappropriated public properties and assets during the tenure of immediate past administration.

He instructed the commission members to uphold their integrity, remain true to their oath, and serve the people of Kano State by ensuring justice is served.

Governor Yusuf clarified that the initiative was not politically motivated or directed at any individual but rather a response to the mandate of the people of Kano State.

Justices of the State High Courts, Farouq Adamu and Zuwaira Yusuf along with other eminent personalities were selected and appointed as chairmen and members of the two commissions of inquiry respectively.

Nigeria’s listed banking stocks’ value declined by N2.069 trillion in 16 trading days following the announcement of the recapitalisation exercise by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This is as the April 30, 2024 deadline that the CBN gave banks in the country to submit their recapitalisation plans and strategies expires tomorrow.

The sector on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX) has witnessed massive sell-off since the beginning of April, thereby triggering a huge loss of N2.069 trillion. The banking stocks comprise Ecobank Transnational Incorporated (ETI), Fidelity Bank, Guaranty Trust Holding Company (GTCO), Jaiz Bank, Sterling Financial Holdings Company, Unity Bank, Wema Bank, FCMB Group, Stanbic IBTC Holdings, United Bank for Africa (UBA), Zenith Bank, Access Holdings and FBN Holdings (FBNH).

Recall that on March 28, 2024, CBN had revised the minimum capital requirements for banks and, according to data compiled by LEADERSHIP, the overall total market value of the banking stocks dropped by N2.069 trillion to N6.013 trillion as of April 26, 2024 from N8.082 trillion on March 28, 2024.

Also, the NGX Banking Index within the period under review recorded a decline of 25.75 per cent from 1,029.63 points on March 28, 2024 to 764.50 points when it closed trading on April 26, 2024.
Of the 13 banking stocks between March 28, 2024 and April 26, 2024, only ETI recorded a gain of 16.12 per cent. On the other hand, FBNH recorded the biggest loss of 42.76 per cent, while GTCO followed with a decline of 32.38 per cent.

Access Holdings was down by 32.24 per cent, Sterling Financial Holdings Company (-29.26 per cent), Zenith Bank (-26.74 per cent), Wema Bank (-26.47 per cent), FCMB Group (-19.41 per cent), Unity Bank (-18.36 per cent), UBA (-17.86 per cent), Jaiz Bank (-15.83 per cent), Stanbic IBTC Holdings (-11.61 per cent) and Fidelity Bank (-6.00 per cent).

Speaking to LEADERSHIP on the current banking stock performances, the managing director of HighCap Securities Limited, David Adonri said “after the announcement by the CBN directing banks to recapitalise, the market started declining, but we cannot see for sure that, that policy is behind the decline in the prices of banks’ stock since that announcement was made.

“I think the major factor should be the second announcement that restrained banks from paying out good dividends in line with their extraordinary income within the financial year.”
Another reason he associated with the situation was the contractionary monetary policy of the Central

Bank wherein the interest rate had been hiked heavily in the last MPC meeting. So, this has caused a migration of financial assets away from equities to debt, he stressed.

Adonri explained that the recapitalisation structure, as directed by CBN, is predicated on the flow of fresh capital to the banks.

“The banks will have to raise fresh capital from all the sources where they can raise. But we are presuming that a lot of them will have to leave the capital market. They will come to the primary market to raise fresh capital. Judging by historical antecedents, that is likely to cause some price movement in the banking sector before the banks hit the market to float their public offerings,” he said.

On mergers and acquisitions, he said “there is no need because banks are segregated into different segments. Some are regional banks, some are national Banks, and some are international banks. So, any bank that is unable to meet the minimum requirement for a segment will drop down to the lower segment instead of going to a forced merger or offering itself for acquisition.

“But banks have been given about two years to raise fresh capital. What will happen is that there will be a timetable in the capital market that will make them come one after the other so that the market will not be fatigued if all of them are to swamp the market at a fair swoop. I believe that the SEC will come up with a timetable that will give space for each of the listed banks to come to the market via a public offering so that the success rate will be very high.”

The head of Investment Management at STL Asset Management Limited, Oluwaseun Magreola said this bearish sentiment was beyond banking stocks.

Magreola said “since the MPR was jerked up by 400 basis points by the CBN governor in February, the whole equity market has been at risk of a negative turnout. Over the years, there’s been a strong inverse correlation between the fixed income market and the equities market.

Magreola asserted that the reaction to the high yields in the fixed income market was ‘quite slow’, noting that most investors were waiting to earn their dividends.

Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has described as very unfortunate the fire incident caused by a tanker conveying premium motor spirit otherwise known as petrol which burnt motorists and commuters beyond recognition and destroyed several vehicles on Friday night.

The incident occurred between the Indorama Petro-Chemical Company Gate and the Aleto Bridge on the popular and ever busy Eleme section of the East-West Road now undergoing major reconstruction by the Federal Government.

The governor expressed sadness at the gory sights that he saw when he visited the scene of the incident, accompanied by the State Commissioner of Police, Olatunji Disu, and the State Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Uchechukwu Nwafor, on Saturday morning.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi, and sent to newsmen.

The governor also spoke about the tanker inferno that had become a sad episode in the State with over 120 vehicles razed and about five lives lost, describing it as “great tragedy”.

“It is a very sad day in our dear State. Something happened in Eleme, along the route of Indorama Petrochemical and Fertiliser Company Limited. A tanker had an issue with a tipper, and there was an unfortunate situation that caused the State a very devastating loss.

“I went there this morning to see for myself what happened, and I can tell you, I’ve not been happy since then. With all the dramas in our State, it is not even proper for us to add that to it. 

“But it wasn’t our fault. It was just what impatience caused. The tanker driver, knowing the state of that road, was not patient, and it resulted in that colossal loss. Over 120 vehicles were completely burnt, and five lives were lost. It was very unfortunate.”

Governor Fubara spoke at the country home of Sir Celestine Omehia in Ubima community, Ikwerre Local Government Area of Rivers State on Saturday.

Earlier, Fubara explained that he got a call from the Managing Director of Indorama Petrochemical and Fertilizer Company Limited in Eleme Local Government Area, informing him of the incident.

At the news of the incident, the governor said he immediately routed a call to the security agencies and instructed that they visit the scene to take charge of the security of the area to avoid escalation of the situation.

Governor Fubara stated, “We are here to see for ourselves and get first-hand information of the incident of what happened yesterday night.

“About 7.30 – 8pm, we got information of the gravity of the incident. I was told that it was caused by a tanker vehicle that was conveying Premium Motor Spirit.

“In fact, I got the information through the MD of Indorama, and I immediately alerted the security agencies to make sure they take control of the security situation in the area.

“And from what we are seeing this morning, it was not a pleasant case. We recorded a huge number of vehicles destroyed and lives lost.”

The governor explained that he had already requested the relevant government agencies to provide him a detailed account of their findings to enable the State Government to take appropriate decisions and actions to significantly remedy the situation and reduce the negative effects on the affected people.

“I have already asked the relevant agencies to give us a full brief so that we can come into the situation fully by seeing to how much we can support the families that are bereaved, and also cushion the effect of the losses, which I believe, is no fault of a good number of them.

“We all know the situation of this road. It is really unfortunate. Most of our people, when plying this road, should ply it with caution.

“I believe very strongly that this situation would have been avoidable, if the motorists had behaved properly. But it is late already. The damage has happened. This is the situation we have found ourselves in. We will see how we can control the aftermath,” he added.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, in a statement said four bodies, including that of a pregnant woman were seen at the scene of the inferno.

The statement read, “At approximately 8:30 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2024, the Rivers State Police Command received a distress call regarding a fire incident along East-West Road near Indorama Gate, Eleme, caused by a tanker explosion. Immediate action was taken by contacting the fire department and mobilizing operatives to the scene.

“Upon arrival, a joint operation of the Police and Firefighters successfully extinguished the fire by 10:30pm. However, over 70 cars were engulfed, and several individuals were trapped. Efforts led to the rescue of many, though the total casualties are yet to be determined.

“Regrettably, four individuals, including a pregnant woman, have been confirmed dead, and those injured are receiving treatment at nearby hospitals.”

When contacted, the Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps, Rivers State Command, Christopher Kuje. Corroborated the casualty figure by the police, saying the charred remains were bagged and taken to the Military Hospital in Port Harcourt.

Kuje added, “We counted four bodies that were burnt beyond recognition. So, we use body bags to carry them to the Military Hospital. The vehicles we counted that got burnt were 60.”

An eyewitness who gave his name as Precious, said, “Some people were running when the fire caught them and they died,” he explained, even as he blamed the tragedy on the reconstruction of the road which, according to him, had worsened the gridlock.

“Yes, they are working the road, which is good, but they should also create access. Not the way they are doing it. One they should be fast about it and secondly the contractor should know that vehicles are using the road. Otherwise, this would not have happened. It is unfortunate,” he added.

A Federal High Court in Kano State on Saturday restrained the acclaimed executive members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) of Ganduje Ward from suspending the party’s national chairman, Abdullahi Ganduje.

The court, presided by Justice A. M Liman ordered the restraint pending the hearing and determination of a suit filed by Ganduje for enforcement of his fundamental rights. 

Respondents in the suit include Basiru Nuhu Isah, the Nigeria Police Force, the Commissioner of Police in Kano, Inspector General of Police and the Department of State Service (DSS). 

A faction of the APC in Ganduje ward, Dawakin Tofa local government area had announced the suspension of Ganduje, citing allegations of corruption and bribery during his eight-year tenure as Governor.

Ganduje approached the court through his counsel, Hadiza Ahmed, seeking the enforcement of his fundamental rights to fair hearing and freedom of association.

The lawyer buttressed his submission pursuant to the Enforcement and Procedure Rules, 2009, as subsumed under Section 46 of the Constitution of Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended.

Justice Liman gave the order after hearing of an ex parte application moved by the lawyer.

The judge also directed all the parties in the suit to maintain status quo before the purported emergency meeting of the said executive members of APC Ganduje Ward, and to stay all action in respect of the matter, pending the hearing and determination of motion on notice. 

Justice Liman said: “All the respondents, their servants, agents or privies are hereby restrained from implementing and or given effect to the purported decision reached during the purported Emergency Meeting of the alleged Executive Members of APC Ganduje Ward, on the 20 April, 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application for the enforcement of fundamental rights of the Applicant.”

A foundation member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mr Osita Okechukwu has stated that leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, should blame themselves for the party’s woes.

He spoke while responding to former Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara.

The PDP BoT Chairman had vowed that any attempt by the ruling APC to turn Nigeria into a one-party state would be vigorously resisted. 

Wabara’s statement is coming as a former Governor of Imo State, Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha, Minister of State for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Chief Chuka Odom, and myriads of others resigned their membership of the PDP.

However, Okechukwu, in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Sunday, stated that the blame game dished out to the APC by “Senator Wabara and Co who dug the grave of the PDP is misplaced in all materials particular”.

He maintained that “as long as the nemesis of Wabara and Co’s deliberate crass breach of presidential rotation convention between north and south, albeit PDP’s Constitution; Obi’s Labour Party, Kwankwaso’s NNPP and Wike’s Masquerade are alive and breathing, with open arms admitting defector-exits from PDP, there is no valid fear of one party state in Nigeria.”

Okechukwu maintained that the blame game from the BoT Chairman is no solution provider, “therefore PDP should earnestly introspect on how best to pick the pieces of the party that is dangerously sinking.”

He said that “instead of careful introspection of its bleeding ailments and how to fix Obi and Kwankwaso’s exit and its troubled Wike’s Masquerade, plus imbibing the best tenets of internal democracy devoid of breach of the zoning convention, extant laws, planlessness and squandermania, the PDP most times arrogantly hauled unnecessary blame game on the APC.

“My understanding from our elder statesman’s vituperation is that PDP may not even recover in August after the ward, LGA, and State congresses and national convention, when they failed ab initio to embark on careful introspection to examine the root causes of Obi and Kwankwaso’s exit, especially Wike’s Masquerade which led a party that boasted of 60 years uninterrupted reign to woeful failure in 2023 presidential election.

“Truly PDP needs soul searching to make amends, rather than sweeping its troubled faction under the carpet.”

POOR turnout, non-arrival, late arrival of electoral officers and materials marred the conduct of the local government elections in Oyo State on Saturday. 

In particular, the tale of poor turnout and late arrival of electoral officers was similar across many voting units.

Across many polling units, electoral officers did not arrive before 9 a.m.

When Sunday Tribune arrived at some polling units, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., electoral officers were largely idle as voters barely showed up for the exercise.

In Ward 12, Unit 16, Ibadan South East Local Government Area, 17 voters out of 613 registered showed up; at Unit 35, Ward 12 of the same local government, 23 out of 520 eligible voters showed up.

At Open Space, Ward 12, Unit 5 of Ibadan South East, 31 out of 355 registered voters had come as of 1.35 p.m., while at Unit 14, Ward 9, 12 out of 358 voters turned up. 

In Ibadan South West Local Government Area, at Unit 14, Ward 9, 12 out of 358 voters came out to cast their ballots; at Unit 29, Ward 9, 35 out of a total of 846 voters showed up to exercise their franchise. 

In the same vein, voters who had turned up at some voting units waited in vain as electoral officers failed to show up.

In Ibadan South East Local Government Area, voters registered in Unit 14 and 15 in Ward 12 as well as in Unit 15 in Ward 9 waited in vain for electoral officials who failed to arrive.

The story was the same in Unit 47, Ward 9 in Ibadan South West Local Government Area; as well as in some units across the 11 wards in Saki area of the state, where voters waited long hours for electoral officials to arrive.

Meanwhile, security agents were visible at most of the polling units visited by the Sunday Tribune, while party agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were the only ones present at most polling units.

The agent of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) was seen only at one unit out of the units visited.

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) on Saturday night stated that announcement of results would commence on Sunday at 9 a.m.

APC alleges irregularities

In its assessment of the conduct of the poll, the APC has called for cancellation of the exercise after it described the poll as a sham that is capable of bringing the state to disrepute.

The party called on the OYSIEC to cancel the exercise and reschedule it for another day when it is ready to conduct a free, fair and credible poll.

The APC alleged that cases of non-availability of election officials, disenfranchisement of eligible voters, shortage of voting materials, violence and threat to life marred the poll, adding that the electoral commission appeared helpless to rescue the situation even as voters waited endlessly in most of the affected places.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC disclosed that it would still reject the outcome of the poll even if the electoral commission declares all APC candidates as winners because the poll falls below the minimum global standard of election conduct.

“The best thing is for the commission to suspend the exercise and choose another date for a proper conduct rather than continue to connive with a few anti-democratic elements in the ruling PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud and desecration of democracy in the land,” APC said.

“In the 10 local government councils of Oke-Ogun, the official result sheets known as Form EC8A were withheld by OYSIEC’s electoral officers while political thugs were unleashed on some members of the opposition who asked questions in places like Kajola, Olorunsogo, Itesiwaju, Ibarapa East, Lagelu, Ido, Oyo East, Atiba, Oluyole among others. The chairman of our party in Ibarapa East, Mr Segun Ojediran, was violently attacked by the PDP thugs in Eruwa and he is now receiving treatment in a private hospital.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, (OYSIEC), Isiaka Olagunju, has expressed satisfaction with how the local government election is being conducted in the state.

This is as he said complaints about late arrival of election materials at some polling units had been addressed.

Olagunju gave this assessment at the commission’s headquarters, Agodi, Ibadan, after monitoring the exercise in parts of the state.

Olagunju said: “I am very glad everywhere is calm and there is no violence. We have addressed all concerns about late arrival of election materials at some polling stations.”

Also speaking on the monitoring exercise, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Adebola Hamzat, said the collaborative efforts of security agencies is evidenced by the peaceful election.

He said skirmishes in some parts of the state were being addressed.

“We have deployed enough security personnel, our people would see them everywhere. There is no cause for alarm, so far so good.”

In a related development, Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has commended citizens of the state for turning out to vote during the Saturday election.

The governor also rated the conduct of the election high, stating that the poll compared favourably with elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor made these statements after casting his vote at Unit 1, Ward 011, Abayomi Open Space, Iwo Road, Ibadan North East LGA of Oyo State.

While addressing journalists after exercising his franchise, Governor Makinde said: “For us in Oyo State, it is almost like a given that democracy at the grassroots is what we practise. This is almost our fifth year in office and we are holding local government election for the second time. 

“Before we came in, it had always been caretaker administration at the grassroots without the people having a say in who should govern them.

“You can see around also that the people are going about, performing the exercise peacefully and the traffic restriction is being obeyed by the people. So, I will commend our people for coming out to take democracy seriously at that level.”

The governor, who noted that the security report about the election had been excellent, said those who observed any untoward development should report the same to the security agencies.