Defence Minister Bashir Magashi on Friday said the federal government has commenced the process of declaring bandits operating in Northern Nigeria as terrorists.
Mr Magashi who stated this while addressing newsmen in Abuja said the procedure which is yet to be completed was why the President Muhammadu Buhari regime is delaying in branding the criminals, who kill, steal and kidnap.
There have been calls, including from the two chambers of the National Assembly, for Mr Buhari to label the terrorists for whom they are. Information Minister Lai Mohammed had recently likened the violent extremists to street urchins operating in most Southern cities.
“We are not declaring them terrorists because there is a procedure for doing that,” Mr Magashi explained. “When the procedure is followed, they will be classified as terrorists. We are waiting for the procedure to be completed.”
