Minister of defence, Bashir Magashi has said the need to follow due process is responsible for the delay in declaring bandits as terrorists by the the federal government.
Many Nigerians have accused the federal government of treating bandits with “kid gloves” by not declaring them as terorrists.
But speaking with journalists in Maiduguri on Friday, Magashi, who was with the service chiefs to assess the ongoing fight against insurgency in the north-east, said there is a procedure that needs to be followed before such a declaration.
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He said: “We are not declaring them terrorists because there is a procedure for doing that,” he said.
“When the procedure is followed, they will be classified as terrorists. We are waiting for the procedure to be completed.”
