Finally, FG succumbs to pressure, declares bandits as terrorists

By allcitynews.ng

Finally, Federal Government succumbed to pressure, accepted to declare bandits as terrorists after years of calls by Nigerians and international communities.

Once declared as terrorists they are seen and treated as enemies of governments and the general public. Being declared as terrorists means they can be faced with serious condemnations and be treated as such. Moreover, according to crimemuseum.com, Prison sentences are the most commonly issued forms of punishment for terrorists. The final method for punishing a terrorist is the death penalty. Being tagged terrorists, they are now public enemies which can be subjected for capital punishment.

It would be recalled that the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami (SAN), at last decided to call them terrorists, though a court on November 25, 2022 declared them as terrorists.

He gazetted a court judgement that ordered the government to declare bandits as terrorists.

That bandits have been causing serious damages crimes against humanity especially in the North-West geopolitical zone including Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and Kaduna states.

Their nefarious activities have also gone beyond Northern part of the country as they have gradually started attacks in some states in South, West, Eastern parts
other zones in the country.

Following the systematic refusal to take drastic steps in handling them since, is responsible, according to Mr Jamiu Ashaka, in response to allcitynews.ng question, made them to penetrate into other parts of the country.

The bandits have killed hundreds of innocent persons, kidnapped several others including schoolchildren, with some still in their custody, while some are nursing injuries sustained during the attacks.

It would also be recalled that Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja on November 25, 2021, had granted an ex parte application 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 President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, for reasons best known to him, refused to call them by that name.

However, the AGF, in an interview on Tuesday, said his office was in the process of gazetting the court judgement, adding that the process would be concluded in a matter of days.

Also, 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 read 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.”

From Punch Newspaper