The Federal Government on Wednesday declared all bandit groups operating in Nigeria as terrorists.
Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, had on November 25, 2021, granted the Federal Government’s application to declare the bandits as terrorists.
The judge, who gave the government’s ex parte application, declared the activities of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda as acts of terrorism.
After two months of foot-dragging, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN), gazetted the court’s ruling declaring bandits as terrorists on Wednesday.
A document confirming the declaration of the mass murderers as terrorists was released to journalists by the Special Assistant on Media and Public Relations to the AGF, Umar Gwandu, on Wednesday.
It read: “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 groups 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.”
