Abuja high court rules that bandits should be declared terrorists and treated as such from now on

NIGERIAN law enforcement agencies may now be able to step up the apprehension and prosecution of heavily-armed bandits who have been terrorising the north of the country of late after an Abuja high court ruled that they should be regarded as terrorists.

Over recent years, these bandit have laid waste to large swathes of northwestern Nigeria, especially, Zamfara, Katsina and Kaduna states. Unleashing terror on the local populace, they have resorted to widespread kidnapping, sacking rural villages and carrying out indiscriminate killing of anyone who opposes them.

Overwhelmed by the situation, the security forces have been unable to contain them and to make matters worse, these bandits could not even be arrested and tried under terrorism laws up until now. That may all be about to change, however, as Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruled today that the activities of these are acts of terrorism.

Yesterday, in a landmark judgment, the court ruled that the Yan Bindiga group, the Yan Ta’adda group and other similar bodies are active terrorists. M B Abubakar, the director of public prosecution in the Federal Ministry of Justice, had filed an ex-parte motion before the court that was backed by affidavit filed by Aminu Kayode Alilu, also of the ministry, explaining why the application was made.

In the suit, the government told the court that bandits were responsible for several acts of criminality in different parts of the country. Their case pointed out that Yan Bindiga, Yan Ta’adda and others were responsible for the wanton destruction of lives and properties in Nigeria, particularly in the northwest and north central geo-political zones.

It mentioned, 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. Also the government said the outlaws were carrying out acts of terrorism that can lead to a breakdown of public order and safety, which is a threat to national security and the corporate existence of Nigeria.

In his pronouncement, Justice Taiwo proscribed Yan Bindiga, Yan Ta’adda and all bandit clusters either in groups or as individuals by whatever names they are called. he then directed the federal government to publish the proscription order in the official gazette and two national dailies.