President Jonathan To Publish List of Terrorists, Sponsors & Deal With Them

NIGERIANS will soon have a list of terrorists and terrorists groups, it was learnt yesterday.

The government will publish the list as part of measures to fight the growing scourge of terrorism.

The activities of Boko Haram have taken an upward swing, leading to killings and disruption of activities in parts of the North, especially the Northeast. There is anxiety in Abuja.

The group claimed responsibility for the suicide bombing on the police headquarters and the United Nations (UN) office in Abuja in which 24 people were killed and many others injured.

About 150 people were killed at the weekend in simultaneous attacks in Damaturu and Postikum in Yobe State and Maiduguri, Borno State.

Book Haram is also believed to have links with the International terrorist group al-Qaeda.

Before the Boko Haram menace, the Movement for the Emancipation of Niger Delta (MEND) held sway in the Niger Delta.

The Federal Government has now released a gazette on the regulations to fight terrorism.

All terrorists and their sponsors risk five-year jail term and global freezing of their accounts at home and abroad, according to the gazette.

Also, for the first time, the government will publish a Nigeria List of terrorists and their sponsors.

These measures are contained in a Gazette of Regulations released by Attorney-General of the Federation Mohammed Bello Adoke (SAN), which was obtained by our correspondent.

The regulations are in line with the Terrorism (Prevention) Act 2011, the Charter of the United Nations and UN Resolutions 1267(1999), 1333(2000), 1373(2001), 1390(2002), 1452(2002), 1455(2003), 1526(2004), 1617(2005), 1735(2006), 1822(2008), 1904(2009) and 1988(2011).

With the Gazette, the government may unmask those behind increasing terror attacks in the country.

The attacks recently forced the United States (US) and Canada to issue a travel warning to their citizens coming to Nigeria.

While the issues surrounding the travel warning were being addressed, Boko Haram (Western education is sin) struck in Borno and Yobe states at the weekend.

The Gazette reads: "An offence may be committed under these Regulations by any person (a) in Nigeria; or (b) elsewhere who is a Nigerian citizen.

"A person who contravenes any of the provisions of these Regulations shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a term of five years or to a fine of not less than N1milion or to both.

"Where an offence under these Regulations is committed by a designated terrorist group, every member of the group shall, on conviction, be liable to imprisonment for a term of five years.

In the case of a violation of the provisions of these Regulations by an institution, entity or other body corporate, the principal officers of the Institution, entity or body corporate shall on conviction be liable to imprisonment for a term of not more than five years."

According to the Gazette, the government is empowered to publish the list of terrorists and their sponsors.

The document adds: "Whenever the president declares that a person is a suspected international terrorist or declares a group to be an international terrorist group for reasons other than those provided for under subsections (1) (b) or 4(b) of Section 9 of the Act, the Attorney-General shall enter the name and other details of such a person or group in the Nigeria List.

"The Attorney-General may remove or amend the name of a person or group or any other relevant details under the Nigeria List whenever the President revokes or amends a declaration made under Section 9 of the Act.


"The Attorney-General shall cause the Nigeria List, including any revision or amendment as may be made thereto from time to time, to be disseminated for the purpose of these Regulations."

The Regulations have also mandated the government to freeze all funds held by any designated person or group.

The Gazette says: "The funds or other economic resources owned, held or controlled, directly or indirectly by a designated person whose name and other details are on the Lists shall be frozen.

"Freezing of funds shall be without prejudice to the rights of third parties acting in good faith.

"For the purpose of sub-regulation(1) of this Regulation, in determining whether funds are controlled by a designated person, the fact that such funds are held in the name of an associate or relation is immaterial.

"Where the name of a person or of an entity is confirmed to be on the Lists, the Institution shall block the funds or any other economic resources identified as belonging to or connected with the person or entity on the lists and shall ensure that the account is not operated and thereafter forward to the Nigeria Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU).

"All funds and other economic resources frozen under this Regulation shall be recorded against the names of the owners and beneficial owners for proper management."

OUR QUESTION: Do you believe this? Do you think the govt does not already know those behind the appalling act? Who is deceiving who here?