The National Assembly said on Thursday that it would send its resolution to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation next week, urging President Muhammadu Buhari to declare bandits terrorists (SGF).
The Senate had passed a resolution on September 29 demanding Buhari to declare bandits terrorists and wage a comprehensive war on them.
It also requested that the President issue orders to the military to destroy their hideouts in order to eliminate them.
Following a motion by Senator Ibrahim Gobir (APC, Sokoto), who bemoaned the fact that the Sokoto East Senatorial District has now become a safe haven for bandits following a military crackdown in Zamfara, the resolutions were passed.
Following a proposal by Babajimi Benson, the House of Representatives passed the identical resolution the next day (APC, Lagos).
The declaration of bandits as terrorists, according to Benson, who is also the Chairman of the House Committee on Defence, would make it easier to prosecute them under the Terrorism Prevention Act of 2011. (As Amended).
“Such an order will officially bring the activities of bandits and their sponsors within the purview of the Terrorism Prevention Act. And any person associated with such groups can then be prosecuted and sentenced to penalties in the Act,” he said.
Speaking while responding to Daily Trust enquiry, National Assembly’s Director of Information, Rawlings Agada, said, “The transmission of the resolution is almost at the final stage of the Clerk to the National Assembly’s approval to go to the SGF’s office.
“Hopefully between tomorrow (Friday) and Monday next week, it should be in the SGF’s office.”
