By Adedapo Adesanya
The federal government has formally declared bandit groups operating in the country as terrorists as it now recognises banditry as an act of terrorism.
The declaration was contained in the federal government’s Gazette proscribing their existence and restraining any person or group of persons from participating in activities of bandit groups.
This is coming 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.
On November 26, 2021, Justice Taiwo Taiwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja granted an ex parte application by the federal government for Yan Bindiga (Hausa word for gunmen) and Yan Ta’adda (Hausa word for terrorists) to be declared terrorists.
On Tuesday, Mr Abubakar Malami, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice said his office was working on gazetting a court judgment that ordered the government to declare bandits terrorists.
And in the gazette published on Wednesday, 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.
Aduragbemi Omiyale 
Modupe Gbadeyanka