A federal high court in Abuja has approved the request of President Muhammadu Buhari to proscribe two bandit groups Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda, and declare their activities as “acts of terrorism”.
Mohammed Abubakar, director of public prosecution (DPP) at the federal ministry of justice, who filed a motion ex-parte, said President Muhammadu Buhari gave approval for his action, of which objective is the proscription of Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda groups and other terrorist groups in the country.
Delivering judgement, the presiding judge, Taiwo Taiwo, granted the ex-parte motion.
Abubakar had in its defence said security reports have confirmed that the bandit 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.
The FG’s supporting affidavits alleged that the group is responsible 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 commuters and wanton destruction of lives and properties in Nigeria, particularly in the Northwest and Northcentral states in Nigeria are 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.”
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“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 government added.
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”.
NewsWireNGR recalls the National Assembly (NASS) has asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare bandits in the country as terrorists and wage total war against them.
According to the Senate, the known leaders of the notorious gunmen should be declared wanted and tracked to completely curb their actions.
The governor of Kaduna state, Malam Nasir el-Rufai had also claimed that his government wrote President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government, letters since 2017 to declare bandits terrorising the North as insurgents and terrorists.
Meanwhile, an Islamic cleric, Dr Ahmad Abubakar Mahmud Gumi, who is well known for his frequent contact with the notorious bandits warned that declaring bandits as terrorists will come with a prize.
