A Federal High Court in Abuja presided over by trial Justice Taiwo Taiwo, ruled that the activities of bandits and other similar groups, by whatever names they are known, in any part of the country amounted to acts of terrorism and thus declared them terrorists.
According to Justice Taiwo, the federal government must also publish the order in the Official Gazette and two national dailies in the country.
In response to the ruling, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, stated that the federal government would now be emboldened to go all out to stamp out all forms of banditry in the country.
The order declaring bandits terrorists followed an application filed on behalf of the federal government by Mohammed Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecution, Federal Ministry of Justice, regarding the activities of Yan Bindiga, Yan Ta’adda, and other bandit groups in the country.
The federal government had asked the court to declare the Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups, as well as other terrorist organizations in the country, illegal in the exparte application.
According to the federal government in a supporting affidavit, the request was made to halt the activities of the group, which the government claimed was responsible for killings, abductions, rapes, kidnappings, and other criminal acts in the country’s north-east, north-central, and other regions.
The federal government accused the organizations of “banditry, incessant kidnappings for ransom, kidnapping for marriage, mass abductions of school children and other citizens, cattle rustling, enslavement, imprisonment, severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, and other forms of sexual violence, attacks and killings in communities and commuters, and wanton destruction of lives and proper property.”
It went on to say that the Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups, as well as other similar organizations, were to blame for the deaths of soldiers, police officers, and other security personnel across the country.
Also read: Security of lives and property in Nigeria critical to survival- Monguno
According to the federal government, the groups’ activities have disrupted commercial, educational, and farming activities in the North-west and North-central.
The DPP stated that President Muhammadu Buhari gave his approval for his action, which has the goal of outlawing the Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups, as well as other terrorist groups in the country.
The court specifically declared the activities of the “Yan Bindiga Group” and the “Yan Ta’adda Group,” as well as other similar groups, to be “acts of terrorism and illegality” in any part of the country, particularly in the North-west and North-central geopolitical zones.
The judge ruled that “similar groups, either in groups or as individuals by whatever names they are called, in any part of Nigeria, particularly in the North-west and North-central geopolitical zones” are terrorists and should be prohibited.
Justice Taiwo stated that such orders were necessary due to the nefarious activities of bandits and their effects on the people and the nation’s economy.
He broadened the proscription order to include all other groups in the country, regardless of name, whose activities and goals are similar to those of the Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups.
Terrorist activities, according to the ruling, “include, but are not limited to, banditry, kidnappings for ransom, kidnappings for marriage, mass abductions of school children and other citizens, cattle rustling, enslavement, imprisonment, severe deprivation of physical liberty, torture, rape, sexual slavery, enforced prostitution, forced pregnancy, other forms of sexual violence, attacks and killings in communities and commuters, and wanton destruction of lives
The federal government must also publish the prosecution order in the Official Gazette and two national dailies in the country, according to the judge.
The federal government has welcomed Justice Taiwo’s declaration and stated that the proscription order will be published in accordance with the court’s decision.
Malami, in response to the ruling, stated that it would now embolden the federal government to go all out to eradicate all forms of banditry in the country.
The declaration, according to Malami, “is a demonstration of this administration’s determination to do things in accordance with the rule of law.”
He stated that with this declaration, the Federal Government of Nigeria has taken a bold step to deal ruthlessly with all terrorist groups and their sponsors in an effort to bring a long-term solution to the country’s myriad security challenges.
Reports say the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice with relevant government agencies, including security operatives, are working tirelessly to ensure that this declaration is fully implemented.
“The government will publish the proscription order in the gazette,” Malami said.
