Nigerian Government has eventually declared a group of people being called bandits as terrorists.
Sequel to a very long footdragging, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami SAN, gazetted a court ruling that ordered the Nigerian government to declare bandits as terrorists.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on November 25, 2021, had granted an ex-parte application brought by the Federal Government for Yan Bindiga (Hausa word for gunmen) and Yan Ta’adda (Hausa word for terrorists) to be declared as terrorists but the regime of the President, Muhammadu Buhari, did not do so after over a month.
A document released by Malami’s spokesman, Umar Gwandu, on Wednesday, showed that the AGF office had gazetted the court order.
The document titled: “Terrorism (Prevention) Proscription Order Notice, 2021” is contained in Volume 108 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette.
It reads in part: “Notice is hereby given that by the Order of the Federal High Court Abuja, in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1370/2021 dated 25th November, 2021 as per the schedule to this Notice, the Activities of Yan Bindiga Group, Yan Ta’adda Group and other similar group in Nigeria are declared to be terrorism and illegal in any part of Nigeria, especially in the North West and North-Central Regions of Nigeria and are proscribed, pursuant to sections 1 and 2 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011.
“Consequently the general public is hereby warned that any person or group of persons participating in any manner whatsoever in any form of activities involving or concerning the prosecution of the collective intentions or otherwise of the groups referred to in paragraph 1 of this Notice will be violating the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 and liable to prosecution.”