Bandits are terrorists, court declares

THE Federal Government on Friday said its determination to crush banditry remains unwavering now that the Federal High Court in Abuja has granted its application to declare bandits groups as terrorist organisations. 

The Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, said in a statement through his media aide, Dr Umar Gwandu, that the declaration by the court was a demonstration of the determination the Federal Government in doing things in accordance with the rule of law. 

He said: “The development is a pointer to the commitment of the Federal Government to adhere to the international standards in respecting the rules of engagement in the fight against terrorism, separatist organisations, insurgency and banditry in the country.” 

By this declaration, he said, the Federal Government had taken a bold step to deal with all terrorist groups and their sponsors in efforts to bring lasting solution to the myriad of insecurity challenges in the country. 

Malami said his office, in collaboration with relevant government agencies, including security operatives, was working to take full advantage of the ruling of the court delivered on Thursday. 

“The government will gazette and publish the proscription order,” he said. 

Justice Taiwo Taiwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja had on Thursday outlawed the activities of some groups linked to banditry and declared their activities as acts of terrorism. 

Ruling on an exparte motion filed by the Federal Government to that effect, the court specifically declared the activities of the “Yan Bindiga Group” and the “Yan Ta’adda Group” and other similar groups in any part of the country, especially in the North West and North Central, as “acts of terrorism and illegality.” 

Justice Taiwo said he was convinced that such an order was necessary in view of the nefarious activities of bandits and their effects on the people and the nation’s economy and went ahead and proscribed all other groups in the country, irrespective of their names, whose activities and objectives are similar to those of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups. 

He listed terror activities to “include, but not limited to, banditry, 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 commuters and wanton destruction of lives and properties in Nigeria.” 

He ordered the Federal Government to publish the prosecution order in the Official Gazette and two national dailies. Lawyers react Some Abuja-based legal practitioners have hailed the Federal High Court’s order. Chief Bola Aidi, in his reaction, said the ruling of Justice Taiwo was in order. 

According to him, bandits, Fulani herdsmen, kidnappers have caused the death of so many innocent Nigerians and have done so much damage to the country and so outlawing their action by a court of competent jurisdiction is appropriate. 

Similarly, a constitutional lawyer, Godwin Sunday Ogboji, said the declaration was a welcome development and long overdue because the groups took the law into their hands to cause mayhem to lots of people. Ogboji commended the Federal Government for filing the motion and the courage of Justice Taiwo in his ruling. 

The Federal Government, in a supporting affidavit to the ex-parte motion, had explained its decision to approach the court for the orders, stating that security reports had confirmed that the bandits groups were responsible for the killings, abductions, rapes, kidnappings and related acts of criminality in the North East, North Central and other parts of the country.

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