Kogiflame
The Federal Government has declared bandit groups as terrorist organizations in an official gazette released on Wednesday.
The gazette titled, “Terrorism (prevention) proscription order notice 2921 dated November 25, 2921made available to newsmen yesterday, says, ” Orders declaring the activities of the “Yan Bindiga Group” and the “Yan Ta’adda Group” and other similar groups in any part of Nigeria as terrorism and illegal, proscribing their existence and restraining any person or group of persons from participating in any manner whatsoever in any form in the activities of any of the group.
“A notice is hereby given that the order of a Federal High Court in Abuja in.suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1370/2021 dated 25th November 2021 as per schedule to this notice, the activities of Yan Bindiga Group” and the “Yan Ta’adda Group” and other similar groups are declared to be terrorism and illegal in any part of Nigeria, especially bin the North West and North Central region of Nigeria and are hereby proscribed, pursuant to Sections 1 and 2 if the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2021”.
Government, therefore, warned the general public to desist from, ” 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 2021 and liable to prosecution.
“This notice shall be cited and terrorism (Prevention) proscription order notice 2021”, the official gazette stated.
It would be recalled that Justice Taiwo Taiwo of a Federal High Court in Abuja on Thuroutlawed the activities of some groups linked to banditry and declared their activities as acts of terrorism.
In a ruling on an ex parte 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 Northwest and Northcentral geo-political zones, as “acts of terrorism and illegality”.
It equally proscribed the Yan Bindiga Group and the Yan Ta’adda Group as well as other similar groups in any part of Nigeria, especially in the Northwest and Northcentral geo-political zones, “either in groups or as individuals by whatever names they are called constrained “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” and ordered the Federal Government to publish the prosecution order in the Official Gazette and two national dailies.
Justice Taiwo said he was convinced that such orders were 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, but whose activities and objectives are similar to those of Yan Bindiga Group and the Yan Ta’adda Group.
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.”
Tribuneonline
