Attorney-general Abubakar Malami finally relents and agrees to classify bandits as terrorists

NIGERIA'S federal government has eventually declared the armed bandits who have been holding the nation to ransom with their murderous campaign as terrorists making them subject to international terror laws.

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 on November 25 last year, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court, Abuja, ruled that the activities of these bandits are acts of terrorism.

After weeks of dragging its feet over the judgement, the government has finally accepted  the ruling, with attorney-general of the federation and justice minister Abubakar Malami gazetting the judgement. Now that the ruling has been stored in an official government gazette, the bandits will now be officially designated as terrorists.

Earlier today, a document released by Mr Malami’s spokesman, Umar Gwandu, showed that the attorney-general's office had gazetted the court order. This document titled, Terrorism (Prevention) Proscription Order Notice, 2021 is contained in Volume 108 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette.

It read in part: “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 northwest 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.”

Across northern Nigeria, these bandits have killed hundreds of innocent persons, kidnapped thousands of others including schoolchildren and many people are nursing injuries sustained during their brutal attacks. Despite attempts to offer them an amnesty programme, the violence has ceased to end.