The Federal Government has formally declared bandit groups operating in the country as terrorists.
The declaration is contained in the Federal Governments Gazette proscribing their existence and restraining any person or group of persons from participating in activities of bandit groups.
News of the move come more than a month after the Federal High Court in Abuja declared bandits as terrorists following an ex parte motion the Federal Government filed before it through the Ministry of Justice.
In the gazette, the Federal Government said, “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 North-West and North Central Regions of Nigeria and are proscribed, pursuant to sections 1 and 2 of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011”.
Based on the declaration, the Federal Government warned against participating in the activities of bandit groups will be prosecuted.
It said “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” proscribed and declared terrorists will be violating the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011 and liable to prosecution.
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