Court Proscribes Lakurawa Sect As A Terrorist Organisation

Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja has classified the Lakurawa sect as a terrorist organization and banned its activities.
The prescription order followed an ex parte application filed by the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Latief Fagbemi (SAN).
In his ruling, Justice Omotosho similarly banned similar groups operating in Nigeria, particularly in the northwest and north central regions.
He wrote: “It is hereby ordered that: the activities of the Laclawa Sect and other similar groups in all parts of Nigeria, particularly in the Northwest and North Central regions of Nigeria, are hereby declared to be acts of terrorism and illegal activities. ‘IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that the existence of the Lakurawa and other similar groups, whether collectively or individually, by whatever name called, in any part of Nigeria, and particularly in the Northwest and North Central regions of Nigeria, is hereby prohibited and published in the Official Gazette and in two national newspapers.
‘It is hereby ORDERED that the participation of any individual or group, by whatever name or description, in any form of activity involved in the carrying out of the collective intentions of Lakurawa is hereby prohibited.
‘Prohibits any other group, by whatever name called, having similar objectives to those of the Lakrawa, such as banditry, kidnapping for ransom, kidnapping for marriage, mass abduction of school children and other citizens, cattle rustling, enslavement, imprisonment, and strict confinement within Nigeria, enslavement, imprisonment, severe deprivation of liberty, and torture, rape, sexual slavery, forced prostitution, forced pregnancy, and other sexual violence; attacks and killings against communities and commuters; and the wanton destruction of human life and property in Nigeria.”
Deputy Director of the Federal Ministry of Justice, David Kaswe, made the allegations filed on January 14 by the Director of the Federal Prosecution Service (DPPF), Mohammed Abubakar. In an affidavit deposed by Mr. Michael Akau, Litigation Officer of the Federal Prosecution Service (DPPF), the federal government told the court that the Lakurawa sect/group has been involved in cattle stealing, kidnapping for ransom, hostage taking, attacks on government officials, attacks on security personnel, propagating its ideology to the local community, and They have been involved in terrorist acts in Nigeria, including kidnapping for ransom, hostage-taking, attacks on government officials, attacks on security personnel, proselytizing ideology to local communities, and encouraging local residents to ignore the constituting authorities.
The Nigerian government, for its part, argued that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the Lakurawa sect meets the criteria for being prohibited as a terrorist group under the Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act. It then told the court that it was in the overall interest of justice, peace, and security in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to regulate this sect.