Why We’ve Not Declared Bandits As Terrorists – Defense Minister.
Maj. Gen. Bashir Magashi (Rtd), Minister of Defence, has stated that the delay in classifying bandits as terrorists is due to the need to follow due process.
Magashi said this while fielding questions from reporters in Maiduguri on Friday, adding that there was a procedure that had to be followed before such a pronouncement.
“We are not declaring them terrorists because there is a procedure for doing that.
“When the procedure is followed, they will be classified as terrorists. We are waiting for the procedure to be completed,” NAN quoted him as saying.
Magashi who was in Maiduguri with the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor and Service Chiefs on an assessment visit of the fight against insurgency in the North east, expressed satisfaction with the successes so far recorded.
He said his team met with the Theatre Commander and other component commanders to deliberate on the next phase of operations, adding that the meeting also identified problems that required urgent attention to enhance the operations.
