A federal high court in Abuja has declared the activities of
Yan Bindiga and Yan Ta’adda bandit groups as acts of terrorism.
Taiwo Taiwo, presiding judge, gave the order on an ex parte
motion filed by the federal government.
Mohammed Abubakar, director of public prosecution (DPP) at
the federal ministry of justice, who filed the 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.
In its supporting affidavits, the federal government 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.
It 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.”
“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.
Delivering ruling on Thursday, 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
north-west and the north-central as “acts of terrorism and illegality”.
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”.
The judge also made an order restraining “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”.
The court asked the federal government to publish the
proscription order in the official gazette and two national dailies.
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