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| Abubakar Malami |
The order which proscribes and designates the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) as a terrorist organisation has been gazetted by the federal government.
The order was obtained on September 20 in a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN).
The gazetting is a part in the proscription order given by the presiding judge, Justice Abdu Kafarati, gave to the federal government. The last part of the order is the publishing of the Gazette in two national dailies and the proscription process would be deemed complete.
The Gazette, a five-page document, was signed by Malami, according to reports. It is titled, "Terrorism (Prevention) (Proscription Order) Notice, 2017’ and is contained in Volume 104 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria Official Gazette.
Apart from its cover, the document has four pages, A69 to A73 and it is the ‘Government Notice No. 85. The Gazette, with commencement date of September 20, 2017, read in part,
"NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that by the Order of the Federal High Court, Abuja, in suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/871/2017, dated September 20, 2017 as per the schedule to this Notice, the activities of the Indigenous People of Biafra are declared to be terrorism and illegal in any part of Nigeria, especially in the South-East and South-South regions of Nigeria as proscribed, pursuant to Section 2 of the Terrorism (Prevention)Act, 2011 (as mended).
“Consequently, the general public is hereby warned that any person or group of persons participating in any manner whatsoever in any form of activities involving or concerning the prosecution of the collective intentions or otherwise of the said groups will be violating the provisions of the Terrorism (Prevention) Act, 2011 (as amended) and liable to prosecution.
“This Notice shall be cited as the Terrorism (Prevention) (Proscription Order) Notice, 2017.”
Also published in the ‘Schedule’ to the Gazette were the orders issued by the court on September 20.
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