“Declaring Herdsmen Banditry As Terrorism Does Not Make Sense”- Sheikh Gumi

Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Gumi said the Federal High Court ruling that granted the Nigerian Federal Government’s request to tag bandits as terrorists in the country does not make sense.

In a statement, Sheikh Gumi said,

“Declaring the herdsmen banditry as terrorists is just a decision that they took for political purposes.” It does not have any practical value because, even before the declaration, they were fighting and treating the bandits as terrorists. So it is just nomenclature, which I believe would not change the dynamics on the ground.

“If you can remember, the IPOB also declared them as terrorist organizations. The declaration was backed by the order of the Federal High Court, but as you can see, even the international community did not recognize the Federal Government’s declaration of IPOB. So it has failed to be effective or to achieve the desired results. ” The Islamic cleric, Sheikh Gumi, said.

The Islamic cleric’s reaction came after the Federal High Court in Abuja, Nigeria declared bandit groups as terrorists.

A ruling delivered by Justice Taiwo Taiwo and delivered today in the court said the activities of Yan Ta’adda and Yan Bindiga bandit groups are acts of terrorism.

The ruling followed the ex parte motion which the Federal Government of Nigeria filed through the Federal Ministry of Justice.

The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, said,

“The Nigerian Federal Government’s determination to destroy acts of banditry remains so strong that the court has granted the application his office filed by declaring bandit groups as terrorist organisations.”

“I hope that the declaration will not give the license to people to profile herdsmen in general as terrorists and to take laws into their hands against them.” The cleric added.