FG To Declare Bandits Terrorists; To Use Tucano Aircrafts Against Criminals

By James Orji

Abubakar Malami, the Attorney General of the federation and Minister of Justice, said the federal government will declare bandits as terrorists in a matter of days. He said the process of designating bandits as terrorists is ongoing following a court judgment to that effect.

After this has been done, the federal government can now use maximum force against the bandits who kill, maim and abduct people for ransom in Northern part of the country. The measures include using the Tucano airplanes recently delivered to the Nigerian Armed forces by the United States of American government to attack  the criminals.

The Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el-Rufai had on Monday advised the Buhari administration to carpet bomb the bandits in their hideouts in order to end their activities.

On November 25, a Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Taiwo Taiwo declared the activities of bandits’ groups as acts of terrorism, following an exparte motion filed by Mohammed Abubakar, the Director of Public Prosecution, DPP seeking to proscribe the deadly activities of ‘bandits’ who have been waging a relentless war against ordinary Nigerians.

According to the court document, the federal government blamed the bandits for the killings, abductions, rapes, kidnappings in northern Nigeria.

The government further blamed the group for the growing cases 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, other forms of sexual violence, attacks and killings in communities and on commuters and wanton destruction of lives and properties in Nigeria, particularly in the North-west and North-central states in Nigeria being carried out by Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups and other groups associated with or engaged in the same or similar activities as Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups in Nigeria.”

“The activities of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups and other similar groups constitute acts of terrorism that can lead to a breakdown of public order and safety and is a threat to national security and the corporate existence of Nigeria,” the federal government said.

The court verdict, therefore, empowered the government to use maximum force against the criminals like it has done with Boko Haram and IPOB.

Speaking on the NTA Good Morning Nigeria Show on Tuesday, Malami said the final process of gazetting the bandits as terrorist in line with court judgment is already on, and will be completed in few days.

According to Malami, “the gazetting of a court order or judgement is a process but what matters fundamentally within the context of international convention is the judicial declaration and that has been obtained; the court has declared bandits, kidnappers, cattle rustlers as terrorists.

“So, with or without the gazette, what gives effect to such declaration is a judicial pronouncement but the gazette is a mere formality and it has been on and I believe within a matter of days, it will be concluded.”

Justice Taiwo had while granting the proscription order specifically held that the activities of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda bandit groups constitute acts of terrorism.

He declared the activities of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda group” and other similar groups in any part of the country as “acts of terrorism and illegality.”

The court proscribed the activities of the group as well as other similar groups in any part of Nigeria, “either in groups or as individuals by whatever names they are called.”

Justice Taiwo ruled that “any person or group of persons from participating in any manner whatsoever, in any form of activities involving or concerning the prosecution of the collective intention or otherwise of the Yan Bindiga group and the Yan Ta’adda group under any other name or platform however called or described.”

He directed the Nigerian government to publish the proscription order in the official gazette and two national newspapers.